By A Strand of Fate
by Manga Girl number 6
Summary: COMPLETE! 2nd in 'Starlit Life' series. Lady Rebecca Clarke just wanted someone to help her on her voyages before she settled down. John Silver just wanted a job sailing the Etherium. They didn't assume that they would have very much more in common...
1. Rebecca Clarke

**Author's Note:**

Aha! She finally writes. Well… it's been quite a while, so I hereby present to you faithful readers: the first of two prequels for "You Need To Find Yourself a Girl Mate".

The first part of this chapter is set in Rebecca Clarke's childhood (when she's ten years of age); therefore it's about twenty-eight years before the events of "You Need to Find Yourself a Girl Mate" (if my math is correct…).

Anyway, I won't have you waiting any longer, so enjoy the story!

* * *

"I won't have this kind of –outlandish- behaviour in my facility, Miss Clarke!" A woman barked at a young black-haired girl. The woman was the headmistress of one of the finest academies for young ladies in Treaka. The girl was one of her more challenging students.

The headmistress paced the front of her desk with her lips pursed tightly and her face stiff with severity. Her greying hair was pulled back into a tight up-do further paling her complexion, apart from her angrily flushed cheeks. A pair of piercing bottle-green eyes looked down on the youth with intense fury.

The youth in question, a Miss Rebecca Jane Clarke, sat silently in front of the headmistress. Her school uniform was dirtied and torn in places; she had a fat lip, bruised knuckles, and was sporting a dark shiner on her left eye.

"Brawling like a brute barbarian; will not ever be permitted in this school, nor is it acceptable in society's eyes." The headmistress gave the youth another stern look as she turned on the heel of her boot. "Doing so just degrades you to that of the drunken sailors who so keenly travel from port to port, doing as they please."

The youth narrowed her pale green eyes at the headmistress, challenging her will but uttering no word.

The headmistress's bottom lid twitched instinctively from annoyance. She then leaned over to meet the young woman at eye level. "Miss Clarke, you are not a savage, you are a young lady." She stated crisply. "Your parents have paid for you to attend this academy and have you moulded into a fine woman of society, so I suggest that you get your act together."

Rebecca would have scoffed if she didn't know better, as punishments at this particular academy were thoroughly unpleasant. They were _moulding_ her into a lady? She thought bluntly to herself. She was not a lump of useless material, waiting to be transformed by skilful hands into something amazing; she liked herself perfectly as she was.

But the intense flame that seemed to flicker behind the headmistress's bottle-green eyes made Rebecca squirm. They had said that if anyone could turn a savage into a modest, civilized being, it was this headmistress.

It seemed like this fight may become one of few that she wasn't going to win.

* * *

Ten Years Later…

"Rebecca Jane Clarke!" A shrill voice chastised a now twenty-year-old woman. "There is no way in the Etherium that I will allow you to get yourself killed by gallivanting about the galaxy from planet to planet. There are pirates amuck and hardly any respectable sailing crews about."

"But mother, I'm just asking you to let me have some freedom before I shackle myself to this planet and settle down with a suitor." Rebecca begged her mother.

"All of your brothers got engaged without having to go anywhere." Lady Jane Clarke spoke pointedly to her only daughter. "Sebastian's already married and his wife is expecting any month now."

"I know that, but I don't feel that I'm quite ready for that sort of commitment…" The young woman looked dearly into her mother's eyes. "Please... just for a few months, at most a year!"

"Jane." The baritone voice of her father, Lord Douglas Townsend, answered from the foot of the spiral staircase in the front living room, in which the two women where squabbling. Rebecca's father and brothers carried on the Townsend family name because of their genders, whereas Rebecca upheld her mother's family name. "Perhaps we might consider allowing Rebecca a voyage or two…"

"What?" Jane interjected curtly, her pale green eyes widening in shock. "That's out of the question, Douglas. She'd be raped and killed out there all by herself!"

"But what if…" Douglas cut in, easing a hand through his greying dark brown hair. "We were to hire an escort from Los Terrano?"

"The desert planet?" Jane gasped at the mention of the planet's name.

"Yes." The older man nodded quietly. "There are a fair few respectable mercenaries that will be willing to guard our daughter for a nominal charge."

"And I'll fund the voyages and escort with my own money." Rebecca volunteered enthusiastically, happy that one of her parents was supporting her adventurism.

Jane sighed finally and turned away from her two family members. "I… I just don't want to lose you, Rebecca." She said softly, her voice was wavering between complete silence and tears. "You're the only daughter I have, and heir to the Clarke name."

Rebecca gently set a hand on her mother's shoulder, turning her around to face her. "I realize that, mother, and honour it." She smiled weakly. "I won't be gone long, and I promise that I'll be careful."

Jane gently patted Rebecca's hand and smiled tearfully at her youngest child. "I know you will, Rebecca."

"So…" Rebecca looked up at her mother with the same pale green-coloured eyes, eager to start her voyage. "I have your permission?"

Jane chuckled lightly. "And my blessing." She planted a small kiss on her daughter's brow before leaving the front room into the mansion's library.

Douglas followed his wife into the library, giving Rebecca an encouraging wink before he left the front room.

Rebecca smiled warmly and then blinked back into reality. She had so many things to do before she could even leave the planet. She'd have to hire transportation to Los Terrano; and because it was at least a month's worth of voyaging, she'd have to also hire a captain, crew and ship, and fund for provisions. Most prominently the thoughts of what she'd have to pack, not only for the ferry voyage to Los Terrano but also any of her future voyages, was mind-boggling.

The young woman groaned, raking her fingers through her raven-black hair. _'Where do I start?'_ She thought feeling completely overwhelmed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

And so ends the first chapter of the long-awaited prequel… What do you think, readers?

Thanks a lot to my fantastic beta: Whisperwings, who has agreed to vastly improve my story once again.

**MG#6**


	2. John Silver

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to Whisperwings for betaing, and to you lovely readers for the reviews!

* * *

A thirty-three year old young man sat in a tavern, just a few miles from the grand Townsend-Clarke estate. He sipped lightly at his brew, keeping a sharp ear out to the surrounding conversations.

His coal-black eyes rose from the foaming top of his drink as he spotted someone posting a sign on the tavern's bulletin board. He carefully read the script upon it: 'Crew wanted for hire, ASAP.' The smaller print of the details intrigued the young man out of his seat to read it.

'Experience sailors wanted, all positions available. First come, first served basis. Contact Captain Darcy Mantra.'

The young man gently stroked the thin stubble on his chin in interest. He finished his brew quickly, placing a copper piece on his table, grabbed his dark leather overcoat and made for the bar.

A scantily clad bartender leaned over the bar, showing off her ample cleavage. "And what can I get for you, darling?" She purred.

The young man forced back a chuckle; the woman was old enough to be his mother. "Just some information." He scratched at his chin idly. "Yeh wouldn't happen teh know where a Captain Mantra would be, would yeh Ma'am?"

"Sure." The bartender leaned back and grasped an emptied keg. "He's a regular." She began polishing the inside of the keg with a rag. "Keeps to himself in that corner over there." She nodded towards one of the darker corners of the tavern. "Nice tipper…" She winked.

"Thank yeh, Ma'am…" The young man nodded curtly and walked towards the corner.

After weaving through the many tables of rowdy drinkers, he came to a shadowy booth in the furthermost corner of the tavern. One occupant sat in the dark, and a single candle lit the table.

"Captain Mantra?" The young man asked in a hushed voice.

"Aye... That be I." A nonchalant voice responded. "Sit down, lad." A hand wearing a leather fingerless-glove motioned across the table at the empty seat.

The younger man sat down and tried to get a better look at the captain. The captain in question had a body built so that there was nothing but muscle, despite looking to be quite older than the younger man. He had a wild mane of silver-grey hair and beard, and a pair of intelligent rust-coloured eyes.

"You're here for the job, aren't 'cha?" The captain raised an eyebrow.

"Aye." The younger man nodded.

The captain nodded, taking a sip from his keg of ale, once he had swallowed the drink he continued. "Good for you, lad… and you're an experienced sailor?"

"Since me childhood, Captain."

"Aye, and any positions are your calling?"

"I'll trust that yeh can decide that on yer own accord, Captain."

"Ha." The captain snickered. "Good attitude. Just one last thing, lad." He finished off his ale and looked across the candle light at the younger man. "What's your name?"

"Silver. John Silver."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Reviews are my motivation, and are great ways to get your opinions and thoughts out to me… so keep them coming, if you please!

**MG#6**


	3. The Siren's Sonnet

**Author's Note:**

And on with the show! Thanks again for the betaing: Whisperwings.

* * *

On the outskirts of Treaka's capital city, Towata, lay the port town of New Hastings, where the main shipping and trading industries were. The port was busy, as always, with huge vessels weaving in and out of the docks, and smaller boats transporting provisions and people about.

John Silver slung his duffel bag over a shoulder and looked about the port with cautious coal-black eyes. He proceeded to the nearest information kiosk and looked over the small scrap of parchment bearing the name of Captain Mantra's ship.

"How can I help you?" An inquisitive bird-like receptionist sat in the information kiosk.

"Which dock is the _Siren's Sonnet_ at?" John asked.

The receptionist looked over a lengthy chart of the ships that had docked at the port. "It's up in the Alpha Sector of the port, just a few blocks that way." She pointed to John's right. "You can't miss her…"

"Thank yeh." The young sailor nodded and walked down towards the Alpha Sector.

* * *

"Here we are, Beck…" The youngest of Rebecca's three older brothers –Denton- stated as he handed Rebecca her lone bag of items, his arm linked with his fiancée's. They looked up at the glimmering hull of the Siren's Sonnet.

"You sure know how to pick out the beaus of the bushel, Beck." Giles whistled at the tall ship. He and his fiancée stood beside Rebecca.

"They said it was the best." Rebecca stated, smiling up at the ship.

"For how long will you be gone?" Sebastian's pregnant wife asked.

Rebecca smiled weakly. "I don't know…" She shrugged. "Los Terrano is about a month's sailing, then… I'm not sure where I'm going to go." She straightened up confidently. "But don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."

"Aww…" Sebastian cooed playfully. "Our little Becky is all grown up." He chuckled.

Rebecca laughed, wiping away some absent-minded tears from her pale green eyes. "I'll miss you all dearly." She vowed.

"Do write about your adventures, my dear." Douglas smiled, looking at his youngest child with proud copper-brown eyes.

"Yes." Denton agreed. "We'll want to hear some stories once you've returned!"

Rebecca smiled and looked at her mother, the only one who hadn't said anything. "I'll be back soon, mother."

Jane nodded mechanically and smiled tearfully. "Be careful out there."

"I will." Rebecca nodded. "I promise."

The young adventurer hugged each person in turn, before grabbing her bag and walking up the gangplank onto the main deck of the Siren's Sonnet. She looked back once to give them a reassuring smile, then faced forwards.

* * *

Captain Darcy Mantra observed his newly hired crew with skilled rust-coloured eyes as he stood at the aft of his ship.

His eldest son Tristan Mantra, and now his first mate, stood at his side. The young man shared the same rust-coloured eyes as his father, but had an unusual shade of green in his hair and bangs that concealed his right eye, likely because he was the fruit of a human and alien's passions.

"I believe that must be Lady Rebecca." Tristan nodded towards the only female who had walked onto the main deck.

"Aye… our financier." The Captain smirked as he walked across the aft, towards the stairs leading to the main deck. "Prepare the crew to launch."

"Aye, Captain." Tristan nodded briskly, stuffing his oddly coloured hair under his black tri-cornered hat and hurried to assume his post.

* * *

Rebecca scanned the busy main deck, trying to locate the captain of the ship. She looked over the ordinarily dressed men, who were the hired crewmembers, and tried for something more obvious.

"Miss Clarke." A voice stated curtly behind the young woman.

Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin, but managed to remain calm as she turned to the voice. She observed an older man, likely in his mid-forties to fifties, with a wild mane of silver-grey hair and an equally untamed beard. He had a pair of dark red-brown eyes, which Rebecca could only specifically pin on a deep rust colour. The man wore an ultramarine overcoat with tawny trousers and polished black boots, a pistol holster and a sheathed rapier sword were at his hip, and he had a black tri-pointed hat atop his head.

Trying to keep to her decent upbringing, Rebecca cleared her throat and answered the man politely. "Yes, I'm Rebecca Clarke." She introduced herself. "Are you Captain Mantra?"

The man nodded in approval. "Aye, that be I… Ma'am." He cleared his throat. "We'll be launching the ship out of port in a few moments, afterwards we'll show you to your accommodations." He scratched his cheek in thought. "Just hang tight to your belongings, Miss Clarke."

"As you wish, Captain." Rebecca agreed.

The captain nodded once more, and then left the main deck to the helm of his ship.

The young woman watched him leave, unsure whether she was to follow him or not. And what did one do to prepare herself for a ship's launching?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks again for the awesome reviews from you readers, I love them!

**MG#6**


	4. Fire Away

**Author's Note:**

Now it's time to fire up the voyage. Hurray!

* * *

John Silver tossed his duffel bag under the hammock he had set up in the crew's quarters, and walked out onto the main deck.

There he spotted a young woman, looking to be only a few years younger than him, standing on the main deck with a single bag clasped between her gloved hands. Her face was turned away from him so that he could only see the raven-black hair pile in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Her deep green skirt just barely touched the flawless main deck, and the woman wore an ivory blouse beneath a velvety dress coat in the same deep green with brass buttons down its front.

She seemed out of place, and far too formally dressed for just any voyage. John then realized that this voyage was of more importance than he had expected. After giving himself an once-over, ensuring that he was presentable, John made his way towards the young woman.

"An' what's a bonny lass like yourself doin' on a ship?" He asked.

The young woman turned to face him and smiled weakly. "I'm afraid that's what I've been asking myself a fair few times."

John paused, drinking in the fairness of the young woman's facial features. She had wide, enchanting eyes of the palest green, a pair of naturally rosy cheeks that contrasted nicely with her ivory complexion. Her lips were full and needed no makeup to obtain their light pink hue, her eyebrows arched gently to give her face a soft appearance, and she had both a delicate chin and jaw.

* * *

Rebecca surveyed the young man closely, as she sensed that he was doing the same. He had a sturdy build, but wasn't entirely a mass of muscle. Her head only came up to his broad shoulders. He looked to be only a few years her senior, wearing a long black coat over a loose tawny shirt and a pair of black trousers, held up by a thick leather belt with a brass buckle. He wore a similar tri-pointed hat as the captain, though his was made of a deep brown hue of leather, and it covered his short dark brown hair. His face, though it was wide, was kind looking. He had a broad facial features, but his eyes seemed to soften them, as they were the gentlest coal-black with their own inner spark.

Rebecca cleared her throat, drawing her attention away from the young sailor, as she bashfully turned away to hide her minute blush. "You wouldn't happen to be able to tell me what it is I'm to do during a ship launch, would you?"

The young man chuckled friendlily. "First voyage, lass?" He inquired. Rebecca mutely nodded. The young man nodded in understanding. "Well, there's nothing teh it." He cleared his throat. "I'll help yeh through the launch as it goes along."

"That would be most helpful, um…" Rebecca paused, pushing a loose tendril of raven black hair behind her ear. "I apologize, I forgot to ask your name."

"Oh, it's me own fault for not introducin' myself." The sailor stated. "Name's Silver, John Silver." He tipped his hat to Rebecca. "At yer service."

Before Rebecca could introduce herself, Captain Mantra's booming voice called out to his hired crew. "Prepare for launch!"

Another voice of equal commanding air shouted orders to the sailors as the tall ship began to vibrate with power.

Rebecca was silenced with a mixed feeling of fear and curiosity, but knowing that the new acquaintance she had made would be helping her through the launch put her at ease.

* * *

As the Siren's Sonnet began to rise up in the port, putting space between the port town of New Hastings and the hull of the ship, Rebecca felt herself choke back tears as she was leaving behind the world she once knew.

Suddenly, Rebecca felt light as air and -when she looked down- she alarmingly found herself floating a few inches above the main deck. She looked beside her up at John Silver, who was at perfect ease with the phenomenon.

He cleared his throat. "Just brace yourself teh land on yer feet, lass, we have teh initiate the artificial gravity first."

Though confused by his words, Rebecca tried to prepare to land on her feet and looked down at the deck.

A violet glow passed over the deck, and the ship groaned. Gravity took effect and everyone landed back into his or her places.

Rebecca stumbled a bit as she tried to gain her footing, but she looked up at John Silver and nodded that she was all right.

"Good job." He congratulated her. "First-time sailors tend teh land on their faces."

Rebecca giggled at the thought and smiled genuinely up at the young man. He couldn't help but smile back.

The ship rumbled once more as the elegant solar sails were fanned out upon the three masts, each sail absorbing the bright sunlight.

"Now pay attention, lass." John Silver instructed. "We're going the launch outta the port, an' we'll do so quickly."

Rebecca looked up at the sailor frightfully.

John simply calmed her with a raised hand. "But don't yeh fret, I'll teach yeh how teh avoid flying off the ship." He leaned forwards, with his weight on his bent leg, and his other leg stretched behind him. "This is how yeh brace yourself."

Rebecca copied him. "Like this?" She inquired.

"Yeh got it." John nodded approvingly.

"Fire Away!" Captain Mantra yelled.

The tall ship blasted forwards at full throttle, launching out of the port. Rebecca -caught unawares from the might of the launch- lost her footing and stumbled backwards into John. The young man caught her in his arms, still bracing himself to the main deck to keep them both from flying backwards.

* * *

Once the Siren's Sonnet had cleared the port town, leaving its limits at the stern of the ship, the ship's engines powered down to a steady pace.

The pounding in Rebecca's ears of her own heartbeat began to wane as she calmed down from the ship's launching. She let loose the breath she hadn't known that she had been holding and she looked up at the young man holding her steady.

John Silver released his hold on her and stood up properly. Could it be her imagination, or were his cheeks a hue darker than she had first noticed?

Rebecca stood up and rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Um… thank you, Mister Silver. For helping me." She felt her cheeks flush with heat.

Before John could think up a reply, a voice answered from behind them. "Lady Clarke?"

Rebecca turned to face a tall, wiry man wearing a red overcoat with tawny trousers and polished knee-high boots. He wore a militaristic sword and pistol at his hip, both in sheaths. The man's hair was completely concealed under his black tri-pointed hat, which accented his rust coloured eyes and sharp facial features.

"Yes?" Rebecca looked up at the man.

"I'll show you to your accommodations." He nodded towards the entrance to the cabins just below the helm of the ship.

"All right." Rebecca agreed and began following the man towards the aft.

John stood dumbfounded from this information. A lady? Such a title was so noble-blooded that it nearly reached that of royalty. So this _was_ an important voyage… and he had so stupidly treated this woman as if she were a commoner. The young sailor pulled off his hat and raked a hand through his hair. He had called her 'lass' for crying out loud!

* * *

"This will be your cabin for the voyage, Ma'am." The man pushed open the door next to the captain's quarters and motioned for Rebecca to enter the room.

Rebecca stepped into her new quarters and looked around. A four-poster bed, a desk and chair, and a small dresser; all of the furniture was securely bolted to the floor of the cabin. A few lanterns hung in fixed brackets along the walls, and the wall facing the door had two portholes.

"If you require anything, Miss Clarke, please don't hesitate to ask." The man in red politely stated as he prepared to let her be.

"Thank you, Mister…"

"Mantra, Tristan Mantra. I'm the Captain's son, and the first mate."

Rebecca nodded. "Well then thank you very much, Master Mantra, your hospitality is phenomenal."

The first mate smiled weakly and left Rebecca to her accommodations. Rebecca wondered to herself, _'Is it just a trick of the lighting, or does he have green eyebrows?'_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Man, I love this motivational epiphany that's triggered all of these chapters. I brought together all of the gaps in the plot while on a summer road trip, and now I've started writing them up. Thanks, as always, to you readers for the amazing reviews, and to Whisperwings for loyally betaing these chapters.

**MG#6**


	5. The Pocketbook

**Author's Note:**

As usual, a thank you to Whisperwings for her awesome betaing, and on with the show!

* * *

Rebecca, now settled in her new quarters and becoming accustomed to the gentle rocking of the ship's movement, retrieved a small pocketbook she had purchased while in New Hastings. It had a leather cover that had been dyed a deep navy blue colour and the spine of the book tightly held together the pages of parchment.

The young woman retrieved a nib pen from her belongings and uncapped a bottle of black ink. She carefully dipped the nib into the bottle, getting only enough ink on the pen to avoid it splattering everywhere, and then opened the pocketbook to its first page.

_Day One, Voyage One_

She paused, wondering if recording the date was wise in this pocketbook. Surely when she travelled to other planets there would be a different set of days, months, even years than that of her own planet.

Rebecca decided that she wouldn't bother with the date, as the matter of passing through time zones, missed or repeated days, etcetera was far too mind boggling.

"Voyage One it is then." She nodded to herself and continued writing.

_Dearest wishes to my family and friends,_

_It was difficult to finally leave Treaka's comforting limits and plunge headfirst into the unknown Etherium, but I now know that this voyage –hopefully one of many- is just another chapter to my story, one I hope to tell you upon my return._

_It will be another thirty days of non-stop sailing until we reach Los Terrano. Once I'm there, I'll hire an escort and seek out other civilized areas of the galaxy. Wherever life takes me, I'm positive that I'm prepared for it._

Rebecca thought of the people she had met already so early in the voyage and began to write about them.

_The captain of the ship ferrying me to Los Terrano –The Siren's Sonnet- is Captain Darcy Mantra. I find the man a little outlandish, but no doubt he has the smarts of how to run this ship. His son, Tristan Mantra, is the first mate of this ship. He seems more reserved than his father, but I sense the makings of a leader within him despite his quiet demeanour. I confess that I'm suspicious of the young man to be hiding something, but it is not anything I should get involved with. It's not my business._

Rebecca gnawed on her bottom lip in thought, and then remembered the other young man she had met at the beginning of this voyage.

_There is another young man I've had the chance to get acquainted with, his name is John Silver. He helped me prepare myself for the ship's launch, as he's an experienced sailor himself. He seems like a polite young man, and despite how brash and barbaric sailors tend to be, he's different._

Rebecca sighed to herself and shook her head in disbelief.

_But who am I to judge these people that I've only met? They could all clearly be the exact opposite to my speculations. I wonder if they act this way because I'm the only lady on this voyage… perhaps._

Rebecca narrowed her eyes in anticipation. She set the tip of her pen down upon the parchment and continued writing in her neat curvy handwriting.

_Well… I see no need to stay within my quarters for all thirty days of voyaging. I could do the same and save a pretty penny by sitting around at home. I'm off to familiarize myself with my surroundings._

While the black writing was drying, Rebecca sealed the bottle of ink with its cork and cleaned the nib of the pen with an old handkerchief. Rebecca gently placed the items in the outer pocket of her bag, and then replaced the bag atop of her bed's covers.

Once the ink was dry, she closed the pocketbook, slipping it into the outer pocket of her bag and she set out to _familiarize_ herself with the ship.

* * *

_'Should I never talk teh the lass this entire voyage?'_ John Silver thought to himself as he climbed up the shrouds of the mainmast. He paused and sighed to himself. _'Nope, can't do that… an' I'd better stop calling her lass. She is a lady after all.'_

The young man reached the wooden platform under the mainsail, which was glimmering brightly from the amount of starlight, and sat down with his legs dangling over its edge.

He gently stroked the thin stubble on his chin in thought while looking out into the vast galaxy before the ship.

A nimble being leapt from the mainmast and landed next to Silver on the platform, it took a moment to recuperate before looking up at the young man.

"'Ello mate!" The being looked much like a weasel with an eye patch over his right eye and he wore a dark green open-chest vest with black baggy trousers. He flashed a friendly grin, showing off his pointed teeth. "Name's Gage Smithy." The weasel humanoid eagerly shook John's hand.

"John Silver." The human stated as the weasel released his hand.

"Aye, strong name that is..." Gage sat down next to the human, his tail twitching with his inability to stay still. "I 'ear that this 'ere voyage is real important…"

"Yeh, don't say…" John looked back out into the Etherium, feigning interest.

"Oh ya." Gage didn't notice the hint of sarcasm in Silver's tone of voice. "Got a financer an' everything... a real babe."

John decided to play dumb on the subject, though he was mildly irritated by Gage's wording. "Really…"

Gage nodded vigorously. "See 'er down there?" He pointed a clawed finger at the familiar woman's appearance on the main deck. "Mmm hmm…" The weasel growled a little in the back of his throat, his friendly grin turning into a mischievous smirk.

Silver didn't want to know what the weasel was thinking at the moment, but he did want to go see the young lady once again… at least to apologize for his ignorance. John grasped onto one of the rope ladders and began to climb down towards the main deck.

"Where ya goin'?" Gage's voice called down, his small head appearing at the edge of the platform.

John decided not to answer the weasel's question, and continued climbing down the rope ladder.

Gage made the connection with the young woman's appearance and John's leaving, and then shouted down to the male human. "Go get 'er, Johnny-Boy!"

Silver sighed, hopping down the last few bits of the rope ladder and landing on the main deck. He recited what he was going to say to this young woman in his mind, trying to make sure that he wouldn't make a fool of himself. Again.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The sole problem about knowing how this story's going to play out is getting the initiative to write the entire thing as most of the time, I just want to jump straight to the fight scenes etc... I thank you all for you undying patience and I will try my best at this!

**MG#6**


	6. An Unexpected Connection

**Author's Note:**

Well… Here goes.

* * *

Rebecca turned when she heard someone approaching her and couldn't stop the faint smile at the sight of a familiar face. "Mister Silver." She nodded politely.

John Silver rubbed the back of his head. _'Did she seem glad teh see me?'_ He pondered to himself. "Uh…" The young man paused to think about how he was going to speak with this young woman. "Are yer quarters teh yer liking, Ma'am?" He asked.

Rebecca couldn't help but giggle. Before, the young man had seemed so nonchalant and charismatic, now he was nervous and a tad bashful. "You can call me Rebecca, Mister Silver..."

The young man's face flushed. "Yer the daughter of Lord Douglas Townsend and Lady Jane Clarke…" He gasped, realizing the young woman's important lineage.

"Yes…" Rebecca stated hesitantly. "But that doesn't really matter now, Mister Silver."

John Silver looked over the young woman quizzically, trying to figure her out. "Yer trying teh avoid attention, aren't yeh Miss Clarke?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Y-Yes…" Rebecca's face was beginning to flush. "And as I said, please call me Rebecca, Mister Silver."

"Only if yeh stop calling me Mister Silver." John pointed out. "Makes me feel old…" He folded his arms over his chest.

"Alright…" Rebecca twiddled her fingers nervously. "What shall I call you then? Master Silver? John Silver?"

"Just John suits me fine, Rebecca." The young man stated.

"Alright, John." She nodded.

John cleared his throat. "Listen, Rebecca, I just wanted teh apologize teh yeh, for earlier."

"Why's that?" Rebecca enquired. "I should be thanking you again for helping me with the launch." She stated. "I wouldn't have been able to go through with it, without your help."

"Well…" John rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't really, respectful of yer position in society… an' I'm sorry."

"Nonsense," Rebecca shook her head curtly. "On the contrary. I found your friendliness quite refreshing opposed to all of these titles like _Lady Rebecca_, _Miss Clarke_ and so on…" The young woman smiled warmly. "You have nothing to apologize for, John."

John smiled back. It was strange how seeing Rebecca's smile would often evoke a smile on his face, as if her happiness was contagious.

Rebecca's smile changed into an expression of genuine curiosity as she spotted a patch on the right shoulder of John's coat. "I recognize that badge from somewhere…" She stated aloud, pointing to the patch.

John tugged at the arm of his coat to look over the badge. "Aye… I was a soldier a couple years back…"

"That's where I recognize it." Rebecca exclaimed. "My brothers fought under Treaka's banner when I was young… during the inter-planetary war between Kinapis and Alpha Diego."

"Aye, an' Treaka was one of Kinapis' allies; I too fought under Treaka's banner…" John nodded. "Eighteenth Battalion, Ground Infantry."

Rebecca gasped. "Then you must know my brothers: Sebastian, Giles, and Denton."

A genuine smile broke across John's face. "Aye. Giles an' I were the same age, an' we were both assigned teh the same commander. I didn't meet Sebastian an' Denton 'til we got to the battlefield on Alpha Diego." The young man stroked his stubble-covered chin as he reminisced. "Those three boys wouldn't stop raving on 'bout their little sister –it was Becky that they called yeh- who was waiting for them at home… yeh were their motivation teh stay alive." John chuckled. "Always wondered if I was ever going teh meet yeh… but on a ship of all places." He chuckled again. "Who'd know?"

Rebecca giggled. "And my brothers would send me letters whenever they got a chance, talking about how they missed home, and about the friends they had made in their battalion… You were often one of the subjects." She blushed lightly.

"Oh really?" John was intrigued by this information. "An' what did yer brothers say teh yeh 'bout me?"

"Well…" Rebecca's face flushed a little as she recalled the contents of her brothers' many letters. "Giles was always going on that you and I would get along well… it was just a felling he had." She turned away to avoid showing off any more of her blush to the young man. "He said that we'd go together well…"

John couldn't help but smile. "Sure sounds like Giles…" He whispered softly to himself.

Suddenly a loud voice bellowed from the entrance to the ship's mess hall, "Silver! Get back 'ere an' keep peelin' those vegetables yeh rascal…"

John shrugged and glanced back at Rebecca who raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.

"You're working in the kitchens?" She enquired.

"The culinary arts be me calling, Rebecca…" John explained. "Besides, I'm what yeh call _a floater_ in the sailing life… wherever I'm needed, that's where I go."

"I see." Rebecca smiled a little.

"Silver!" The bellowing erupted from the lower deck.

John cringed a little at the anger in his new boss' voice. "Looks like I'm off, keep outta trouble Rebecca…" He smirked and turned towards the mess hall.

Rebecca shook her head and smiled. Maybe her brother had been right after all…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to you, my faithful readers, and to Whisperwings, my awesome beta.

**MG#6**


	7. Something Spontaneous

**Author's Note:**

Thanks again to Whisperwings, for her betaing services, and on with the show!

* * *

_Day Fifteen, Voyage One_

_Dearest friends and family,_

_I know that I've neglected to write about my adventures for the past two weeks, but I've become so flustered by events during that time, that my mind is hardly clear enough to write down anything._

_I am now certain that Master Mantra is hiding something, but of what, I know not. I shouldn't be prying at other people's affairs, but my curiosity is beginning to annoy me._

_The crew, as well, I am suspicious of their intentions. One night, after only being on the voyage for a few days, when I was going to retire to bed after dinner I heard something startling… As soon as I had left the mess hall –in which we eat our meals- I heard the crew going on about me in less than appropriate ways. I was shocked, say the least, and this information had made chronicling my adventures a little unnerving. But I promised to you that I would do so…_

_Lastly, is about John Silver, he wasn't among the crew when they were talking about me as far as I can recall… but I'm unsure of what he thinks about me. Over the past few days we've developed a friendly acquaintanceship of sorts. Now don't jump to conclusions or be shocked, for it is nothing like that, I can assure you… it's just, he's different._

Rebecca paused, once her writing hand began to ache. It was true, these past events had shocked her into a stupor, which had halted her initiative to write. She sighed and set the fountain pen beside her pocketbook and held her head in her hands.

She hadn't envisioned voyaging being overly glamorous, with an entire crew of men waiting to cater to her every need like she were a monarch; but she was certain that Captain Mantra had hired a decent crew.

_'Lust does queer things to the male kind…'_

She had heard this saying a few times before, mostly amongst peers and companions, but never would she have imagined that she'd have to experience the meaning of the phrase herself.

Rebecca lifted her head from her hands and sighed. She was the only female on this entire ship, and this ship was the only ship in this part of the galaxy at this time.

Quite honestly, she was surprised that none of the crewmembers had tried to take advantage of her. She had no weapons and would be defenceless against the majority of the crewmembers. And most, if not all, of them were considerably stronger than her.

Rebecca gently traced the shape of her lips with her thumb as she pondered. There was the startling need to gain information, her unsatisfied curiosity. The annoyance wouldn't dispel as she cleaned the fountain pen and put away her writing materials.

The young woman knew that dinnertime was drawing near, and it was then that she would satisfy her desire… as long as she wasn't caught.

* * *

Rebecca was more than grateful that John Silver was serving the portions of food for dinner as opposed to the Siren Sonnet's head cook. Mister Gibson was a rude, fat man with a beard of tentacles, much like those of an octopus, and was adept to swearing whenever the moment provided.

After the startling description of the places unmentionable he would dip his beard of tentacles if he had his way with her, Rebecca couldn't quite look at the Siren Sonnet's cook the same way, much less stomach any food served by him.

The captain and first mate would usually dine in the mess hall, but tonight they were dining in their quarters as they had much work to get done over the past few nights and couldn't leave it unattended.

Rebecca had her own little table in one of the corners of the mess hall, further away from the crew but not out of earshot. The men dined rowdily, demanding food loudly from John and the tiny cabin boy that was assisting him.

The young cabin boy went by the name of Simon Campbell, though the tiny worker barely uttered a word to anyone. He obediently did as he was told, and whenever he did talk in his quiet voice, it was with the fewest words possible.

* * *

After feasting on her portion of dinner, Rebecca looked around the mess hall. She always felt horribly lonely, even though there were people surrounding her, which is usually why she was the first to leave the mess hall after dinner.

The young woman had a strange feeling of detachment, and isolation within the crowded mess hall. Perhaps, it was the longing for someone to converse with, as she hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone during the voyage since with John on her first day.

She was alienated when it came to any discussion of sailing, far off planets or exciting adventures. It was one thing to read about such things in books, but an entirely different thing to experience it oneself.

"You done with that, Ma'am?" Simon's quiet voice interrupted the young woman's thoughts.

Rebecca blinked and looked at the young cabin boy. "Oh yes… thank you." She pushed aside her plate, and observed the boy.

He looked to be thirteen –at most- with a skinny build and soft features. His eyes were a gentle chocolate brown and he had messy chin-length hair that was a sandy blonde.

"Simon, is it?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes Ma'am, Simon Campbell…" The cabin boy nodded.

"Would you like to sit down for a moment?" Rebecca offered. "I know you'll be busy later on…"

Simon glanced around the mess hall. "Um… sure." He hesitantly sat in the chair across from Rebecca's. "Thank you, Ma'am."

Rebecca smiled warmly and began talking with the cabin boy. The young boy was quite polite, despite his timid demeanour, and spoke freely of his home planet and his family.

* * *

By the time Simon had to begin his duties as cabin boy, he had recounted the reason of why he was working on the Siren's Sonnet, and a few things about himself.

Rebecca smiled as the young boy left the mess hall, with an armful of tableware. The young woman looked around, noticing that the crew had finished their dinner, but had made no move to retire for bed or resume their night watch.

The few glances from the crewmembers to Rebecca gave the young woman an uneasy feeling, as if she wasn't wanted in the mess hall, so she stood from her seat and walked from the mess hall.

No sooner than the wooden door had closed behind her did Rebecca notice a change in volume of the crewmembers' voices. They were louder and more rowdy than ever.

It began something like this:

"It's about time she left… don't think I could've controlled my urges to jump her bones for any longer."

"Sweet Jesus, that woman is a goddess dropped from the heavens, and quite the looker if I do say so myself."

"You know what I'd do if I could get her alone…"

Laughing soon followed this. Rebecca could guess from the loud grunting noises that one of the crewmembers what doing some crude gestures to emphasize his sexual perversion.

"You'd 'ave to die 'ave and gone to heaven to get something like that under your sheets."

Suddenly, Rebecca could hear a door slam loudly within the mess hall; it was likely the door entering the galley.

"What in t'underin' hell?" A loud voice exclaimed. "Are yeh gents mad?"

Rebecca could identify the voice as John Silver's, madder than she had ever heard him, and she listened closely from her position by the mess hall's doorway.

"That woman is a lady!" John yelled. "An' I'll not stay idle if all yeh bilge rats are gonna do is talk filth of her!"

There was an eerie silence. None of the crewmembers had expected one of their own to oppose their objectification of Rebecca Clarke.

Rebecca heard a set of clomping footfalls near the doorway at which she stood, and she quickly stepped out of the way.

John Silver pushed the door opened, stepped out into the hallway and closed it behind him; he squinted through the darkness and then spotted the young woman.

"Rebecca?" He asked softly.

"I…" Rebecca was lost for words. The silence between them was filled with the restarted conversation in the mess hall.

John sighed. "Shouldn't yeh be off teh bed?" He enquired with a raised brow.

"Look, I'm not a child." Rebecca stated firmly. "I don't need a bedtime."

"I'm aware of that, Rebecca." John stuffed his hands into the outer pockets of his lengthy jacket. "But it's not say for yeh teh be roaming the ship when it gets dark…" He glanced at the closed door to the mess hall. "Especially with this crew."

Rebecca bit her bottom lip. She hadn't considered this. Of course, over the course of the day, the ship's environment would fade periodically between light and dark, as the ship would pass through galaxies; but now she could see what John meant.

John turned away from the young lady, walking down the corridor of the lower decks towards the entrance to the main deck. Rebecca couldn't help but timidly follow.

* * *

The young man led her out onto the main deck, and stopped at the railing before the ship's bow. Rebecca stood beside him and glanced at him. John had a far-off look on his face as he was staring out into the everlasting Etherium.

The trillions of stars seem to give his coal-black eyes a dazzling shine; one that Rebecca couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to.

John blinked and looked at Rebecca, noticing her stare. When he looked upon her, it was like looking upon the face of a goddess. Her ivory skin glowed like polished marble in the starlight and her pale green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

Rebecca looked into John's kind eyes -unashamed that he had caught her staring- and she did something completely involuntary. She reached up on the tips of her toes and locked lips with the sailor.

The young man was shocked at this action, but was enjoying the embrace too much to push away the young woman or do anything else. Rebecca's lips were amazingly soft, and she clung to the front of his jacket as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.

Rebecca gently separated from the kiss and looked up once more into John's eyes. "I just wanted to thank you…" She stated. "For what you said back there." The young woman released her hold on John's jacket. She cleared her throat. "You are a true… friend."

John nervously rubbed the back of his neck as Rebecca turned away and walked towards her quarters. He set his fingertips down onto his lips, his face scrunched up into an expression of confusion.

_'I'm a true friend? Is this what Rebecca thinks of me, honestly?_

The young man sighed, looking out into the Etherium. He had hardly been expecting any sign of friendship from a lady of the high society, much more a sign of affection.

He placed his hands on the wooden railing and stared at the twinkling stars, hoping that if he stared at the celestial bodies long enough, perhaps he'd get the answers he wanted.

* * *

The vivid blush on Rebecca's cheeks -that had formed the moment she had turned away from John- refused to go away. She hurried through the lower decks, no stopping until she reached her chamber.

Once she entered her room, the young woman locked the door behind her and picked up her writing materials. She sat down at her writing desk and opened her pocketbook to a fresh page. She didn't stop writing until the blush had finally faded from her cheeks.

Rebecca had written two additional letters to the fifteenth day of her first voyage.

The first was a long letter addressed to her self.

_What have I done? Of all of the things I've ever done in my life this… kiss… it's completely random. _

_The last man I ever kissed, outside of my family, was a young boy in public school. We were the same age, and had similar academic standings and interests. I had devoted two months of researching his lineage and other such materials before I'd ever consider him, and even then, I had waited a year before we began our brief romantic relationship... of which ended because I was emitted into a private school and we sensed a falling out._

_But this kiss… no… it was completely sporadic. I hardly know John, know nothing of his past or background, and he's a sailor for crying out loud._

_No… I shouldn't be so hard on him. He is a dear friend, I'll admit, but I sense that our relations would bode ill in my hierarchy of possible suitors. I'm supposed to be involved with those of similar or greater stature, and keep involvement with those of lower stature to a minimal._

_But I can't believe it…_

The second was a considerably shorter letter.

_Dear Giles,_

_You were right all along about John Silver and I… you knew before we'd ever meet._

_Rebecca_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

In the quotes of Donkey from Shrek: _"Now we're getting somewhere!"_

**MG#6**


	8. Curiousity Killed the Cat

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for the awesome reviews (to my dear readers), thanks for the lovely betaing (to my amazing beta: Whisperwings), and on with the show!

* * *

Rebecca blinked awake once the Siren's Sonnet had lurched to life. Starlight glared through the cabin's window and gently warmed her face. The young woman shook herself awake and rubbed the sleep out of her pale green eyes.

At this time, Rebecca recollected what had past the previous evening, and stifled a gasp through her fingers. She ran a thumb over her bottom lip, thinking about what she had done, and groaned.

Rebecca flopped back against the covers of her bed; she wanted nothing more than to sleep the entire day away. But a growl in her stomach and the glaring starlight forced her out of her bed to get dressed for the day.

The young woman pulled out the key she had been given for her quarters, which included a small bathroom for herself.

Once Rebecca had dress herself for the day in a burgundy skirt, an ivory blouse and a burgundy jacket, she left her quarters and set out towards the galley

* * *

Halfway to the main deck, while walking through the lower decks, Rebecca heard the jeering of a few voices. She turned towards them and recognized a few of the crewmembers, though she knew none of them by name.

The group of crewmembers were standing in a small cargo hold, deeply enshrouded in shadows. Each man was taller than Rebecca, and looked considerably stronger than her.

"Why Miss Clarke…" One of the crewmembers advanced towards Rebecca, feigning politeness. "Isn't it a little odd for a lady to be here?" He was a feline humanoid with the appearance of a tiger, but was wearing a dark pair of baggy trousers held up by a crudely tied twine belt and he had bright green eyes that seemed to bore into Rebecca's own.

Rebecca nervously backed away from the advancing man, only to notice that the other crewmembers had begun to form a circle around her. The young woman recognized the feline's voice as one among the many who enjoyed objectifying her.

"The dark is a dangerous place." The feline growled, his green eyes flashing sinisterly.

Just as Rebecca took a deep breath to scream, one of the crewmembers behind her clapped their hand over her mouth and wrapped their arms around her torso.

The young woman tried to scream as loudly as she could through her captor's massive hand, flailing her arms and legs around to try and disarm the man.

The feline chuckled maliciously as he watched Rebecca's feeble attempts at self-defence while slowly advancing towards her.

Rebecca wouldn't give in, her fingernails clawed at her captor's hand and she kicked at the surrounding crewmembers. Finally, the young woman resorted to biting her captor's hand, which caused the man to release his grip on her from pain.

The moment she was freed, Rebecca screamed at the top of her lungs and hurried away from the group. The feline humanoid quickly sprinted after the young lady on all fours.

Rebecca risked a backwards glance, only to be tackled by the feline man. She landed back first against the ground with the feline on top of her and, as a result, got the wind knocked out of her.

The humanoid pinned her torso with his body weight and held her hands above her head with one paw. The young woman screamed at the top of her lungs while the feline made no move to stop her as he undid the brass buttons of her jacket with his free paw.

When his claw snagged against the fabric of Rebecca's jacket, the feline humanoid simply sliced the material and looked down at the young woman angrily.

"I broke a nail." He chortled, in a fake female voice, his eyes narrowed. The feline then quickly swiped at Rebecca's cheek and continued to undress the young woman.

Rebecca cried out in pain as the feline's claws cut into her flesh. She held back tears and continued to struggle against the feline's tight grip.

There were footfalls just down the corridor and the feline looked up from Rebecca for a split second. He had only enough time for his bright green eyes to widen in surprise before he was hit across the face with a frying pan.

The feline tumbled off of Rebecca's body from the force of the attack and he crashed against one of the corridor walls.

Rebecca panted from shock and sat up. She grasped the torn material against her torso and turned around to look at the person wielding the frying pan.

"Simon…" Rebecca sighed with relief. She was pleasantly surprised by the young cabin boy's actions and quickly buttoned-up her jacket.

The young cabin boy looked at Rebecca with his kind chocolate-brown eyes and offered his hand to her.

* * *

Three men came sprinting to the scene once Rebecca was back on her feet. They were Captain Darcy Mantra, Tristan Mantra, and John Silver.

"What in t'underin' hell were yeh thinkin', Si?" John exclaimed.

"Hey." Simon retorted sharply, his voice unusually high-pitched from distress. "I needed something just in case there was fighting, and the frying pan was the closest thing!"

John sighed in exasperation. "Yeh are raving mad, yeh know that?"

Simon cleared his throat loudly. "If I didn't do so," the young cabin boy continued, his voice returned to its normal pitch. "Then I probably wouldn't have been able to stop Adrian by myself."

"Yes… Well done, Master Campbell…" The captain acknowledged the young cabin boy with a curt nod. "Please escort Miss Clarke back to her quarters, for the time being…"

"Aye, Captain." Simon nodded, waiting on Rebecca.

"As for you lot." The captain's rust-red eyes flared intensely as he looked at the remaining crewmembers in the cargo hold. "It would be wise for you to heed this as a warning."

"Aye, Captain." The crewmembers quickly made themselves scarce.

"Tristan, Mister Silver…" Captain Mantra cleared his throat. "Escort Mister Marx to the brig." He waved at the heap of feline collapsed against the wall.

"Aye, Captain." The two men responded.

"Coming, Miss Clarke?" Simon cleared his voice and nodded to Rebecca.

The young woman silently nodded in agreement and followed the young cabin boy back to her quarters. Her cheek stung from the slice in it and her body ached from being constrained against her will.

* * *

"What happened, Miss Clarke?" Simon enquired, sitting on the stool by Rebecca's writing desk and looked at the young lady in question.

Rebecca gently held a pack of ice against her bandaged-up cheek and sighed. "I'm afraid my curiosity got the best of me…" She admitted.

Simon shrugged. "Well… curiosity killed the cat, right?"

Rebecca chuckled warmly. "I think the cabin boy wielding a frying pan did more damage to the cat than curiosity…"

Simon giggled in agreement, and Rebecca noticed that the boy's behaviour was a little off for the average male. The young lady looked over the cabin boy once more and noted that his features weren't very boyish. They looked almost, feminine.

Rebecca furrowed her brow. "Simon…" She started. "I apologize for this accusation, but I'm getting the feeling that you're keeping something from me…"

Simon sighed and blushed. "Yeah." His voice was unnaturally high-pitched once again, but this didn't seem to be the tone of voice of someone in distress. "I am keeping a secret, from everyone…" The young cabin boy cleared his throat. "I'm…not a boy."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… action scenes, me like!

**MG#6**


	9. Sylvie Campbell

**Author's Note:**

Just moving along here, thanks so much for your support (especially the lovely review from Phyllipa, which totally made my day!)...

* * *

"Was it really that obvious?" Simon looked down at the floor in shame.

Rebecca blinked, still absorbing the information. The black-haired woman sighed. "Would you mind telling me the entire story?" She enquired politely.

"Well, my real name's Sylvie Campbell." The young girl began. She cleared her throat. "I needed to get a job on the Siren's Sonnet, because my family lives on a planet close to Los Terrano. If I got a job, I'd not only have a free ferry to Los Terrano, but I'd be able to earn some money to help keep my family's antique shop opened." Sylvie continued. "I couldn't get the job as a girl, so I disguised myself as a boy, and got the job as cabin boy." She sighed. "It's not much of a story…"

Rebecca furrowed her brow in thought. "How old are you, Sylvie?" She asked.

"Fourteen." Sylvie replied.

Rebecca smiled warmly. "You're quite the brave young girl, Sylvie." She remarked. "I couldn't have ever imagined doing what you've done when I was younger." The lady stood from where she sat on her bed and removed the pack of ice from her cheek.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" Sylvie's chocolate-brown eyes widened.

Rebecca smiled reassuringly. "You just saved me, Sylvie." She stated. "I wouldn't dare tell anyone." The young woman smoothed her hand gently over her injured cheek. She remarked that the wound had stopped bleeding and the swelling had gone down.

Sylvie sighed with relief. Rebecca silently grabbed the key to her cabin and tossed it to the young girl, who swiftly caught it.

"What's this for?" Sylvie enquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't want you to get caught, Sylvie." Rebecca stated. "Feel free to use my bathroom… to change in it, whatever you see fit."

Sylvie looked up at Rebecca gratefully, speechless on how to express her thanks. All that the young girl could manage was, "Won't the crew…you know…talk?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Let them think what they want." She stated. "Now, you'd better go earn your keep." She nudged Sylvie towards the door.

The young girl smiled. "Thank you." She cleared her voice and pitched her voice lower to fit the alias of Simon. "Miss Clarke…" The cabin boy safely tucked the key in a pocket and exited Rebecca's cabin.

Rebecca shook her head and sighed. _'And this is only the first voyage…'_

* * *

Rebecca wrote down what had happened to her in her pocketbook, trying to keep it as light as she could for her mother's sake and used Simon's method of saving her as a hopeful distraction from the fact that she had nearly been raped.

It had been a few hours since she had spoken with Simon, a.k.a. Sylvie, once she had finished writing. Rebecca could hear her stomach loudly protesting. She'd never gotten breakfast after all.

The young lady cleaned the tip of her fountain pen and put away her writing materials just as there was a knock at her cabin's door.

"Yes?" Rebecca asked.

"It's me." John's voice replied from behind the wooden door.

Rebecca stood from her writing desk and opened the door. "Come in…" She nodded into her room.

John nodded, stepping past Rebecca and entering her room. He held a plate of hot food in his hands. The aroma coming off of the food was delicious and Rebecca felt her stomach silently growl at the thought of eating.

The young man cleared his throat. "I just wanted teh know if yeh were alright…"

"You mean after…" Rebecca couldn't finish her sentence. It had been hard enough to write down the basis of what had happened in her pocketbook, and now it was much harder to talk about it, even to John.

John nodded, knowing what Rebecca meant.

Rebecca sighed, losing her appetite at the mere thought of what had happened. She sat down atop the covers of her bed while John sat down on the stool at her writing desk, facing her.

"I don't know, John…" Rebecca stated, falling back against the covers. "I'm alright, I suppose." She murmured the last part more to herself.

John raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but didn't dwell further into the matter. "Well, 'ere's yer lunch, Rebecca." He cleared his throat and stood from the stool. "Yeh'd better eat it while it's still hot, it'll taste horrible cold." John turned towards the door and twisted the doorknob.

"Thank you, John…" Rebecca thanked the young man.

The young man glanced at the young woman lying on top of the covers of her bed before leaving the cabin and shutting the door behind him.

Rebecca groaned, unable to rise from the comforting covers of her bed to eat. She rolled onto her side, ignoring the glaring starlight, and fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Much thanks goes out to Whisperwings, my awesome beta!

**MG#6**


	10. What Ails You?

**Author's Note:**

Thank you Whisperwings for your betaing skills!

* * *

The day had past by quickly past since he had given Rebecca her serving of lunch, but John Silver was still worried about the young woman. She had seemed troubled by what had happened to her and the young man was concerned for her health.

John decided to go visit the young woman, intending to pick up her plate and to hopefully talk with her once more. The young man gently knocked at the door, discovering that it was opened. He silently entered the room and noticed that Rebecca had fallen asleep.

He looked at the plate of food on Rebecca's writing desk. The meal had been left untouched, which raised more worry in the young man because he knew that Rebecca had not eaten, and it looked like she had not even moved from her bed.

Silently, John walked beside Rebecca's bed and knelt down beside her. He noticed that the cut on the young woman's cheek had an unusual appearance.

After further examination, John realized that the wound was infected. The cut would need immediate treatment before its infection had a chance to severely harm Rebecca.

There was no wonder that the young woman was unusually weary and hadn't eaten.

The young man looked over the young woman. Her cheeks had flushed up to an unusual cherry red, and he could sense that she was running a slight fever.

John quickly rose to his feet and hurried out of the room, he needed to find the ship's medical supplies and hopefully would be able to borrow Simon's aid for a while.

* * *

"Rebecca?" A gentle voice spoke to the slumbering woman.

Rebecca moaned softly, coming to, and she opened her pale green eyes. She let out a groan as she felt the wound on her cheek throb in pain. Her eyes finally focused on her surroundings and she looked at the young man sitting at her writing desk, facing her.

"John?" She asked groggily, surprised that the sailor was in her room of all places.

Before she could interrogate the young man on why he was in the room, Rebecca winced at the pain that had suddenly spread from her cheek to her abdomen and let out a long groan, muffled through the covers on her bed.

John looked at Rebecca, his eyes wide in uncharacteristic alarm. The young man looked to be at a complete loss of what to do, until a call came from the other side of the door.

The young man opened the door and allowed Simon to pass under his arm as the young cabin boy hefted a bowl of steaming water into the room. Simon set the bowl down onto Rebecca's writing desk and looked down at the young woman in concern.

"She's going to need some antibiotics for her infection." Simon hypothesized quickly. He pulled a small pouch out of a pocket in his trousers and looked over its contents. "This should do…" He plucked a small vial containing a dark powder and shook it.

"Ground-up yuppi pits?" John enquired.

"Yep." Simon nodded curtly. "I always pack it… the stuff does more healing than it does damage, and it can buy extra time for just about any wound." The cabin boy cleared his throat as he dissolved a small bit of the powder into a glass of water. "Plus it's probably the cheapest and most accessible healing ingredient out there."

Then Mr. Gibson's noticeable voice called from down the hallway. "Cabin Boy! Silver!"

Simon winced, and glanced at Rebecca. "Listen, John, could you go see what Octopus-Face wants?" He cleared his throat. "I'll stay with Rebecca for a while… okay?"

"Uh…" John rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the young cabin boy strangely. "Sure thing, Si." He then exited the cabin to see what the head cook wanted.

* * *

The young child sighed. "I told you the crew would be suspicious." Sylvie stated.

"And I told you," Rebecca responded, wincing from another pain in her abdomen. "I really don't care what the crew thinks…"

Sylvie sighed. "I'm under the impression that this isn't only an infection of that wound that's causing you pain." She motioned to the cut on Rebecca's cheek.

Rebecca weakly laughed, "Clever girl…" She winced. "I'm afraid that I'm suffering from the woman's aliment, as inconvenient as it is."

"Ah…" Sylvie nervously rubbed the back of her head. "I have two elder sisters, so I catch your drift." She cleared her throat. "So, you're probably not going to want to get out of bed for a few days and you'll get some crazy cravings for random stuff."

Rebecca chuckled. "No, I'm not _that _high-maintenance…" She winced. "The first day's always the worst, then I'm usually capable of doing things for the rest of the week."

Sylvie cleared her throat. "Anyway, I've probably learnt a little too much information, but whatever." She handed Rebecca the glass of water in which the ground-up yuppi pits had been dissolved. "This'll hopefully help you with that infection." She smiled reassuringly as Rebecca took an experimental sip at the concoction.

Rebecca winced at the surprisingly bitter taste of the tonic. She shivered. "This stuff brings back memories." She murmured before taking another sip of the tonic.

Sylvie giggled quietly, but was interrupted when John entered the room. Thankfully the disguised youth had enough time to change personas and cleared her throat loudly.

"So, what's the news?" Simon enquired.

John sighed. "That octopus-faced dunderhead nearly destroy everything in the galley by overloading the main power grid while he was cooking dinner." He scoffed. "I'm surprised he didn't cut the power from the ship."

Rebecca laughed nervously. "Knock on wood, John…" She sipped the tonic and gulped the bitter liquid with a grimace. "Wouldn't want anything else bad to happen."

"Yeah." Simon agreed with the young woman. "We're already more than halfway to Los Terrano… and we don't want anything to stall our time."

John and Rebecca caught each other's eyes and somehow sensed that their thoughts were identical. They didn't want this voyage to end just yet, even after all that had happened.

Rebecca looked away down at the glass in her hand. She swished around the minute contents within the cup before she gulped down the last of the bitter tonic and sighed.

"I'll be fine, you two…" She cleared her throat. "You'd better go help out in the galley."

Simon and John nodded. The young cabin boy took Rebecca's glass from her and opened the door. John hesitantly followed, carrying the bowl of cooling water under one arm and closing the door with his opposite hand.

Rebecca sighed and looked at the floor of her room. Her pocketbook lay amongst her effects, soundlessly calling to her to write in it.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

Thank you readers for your reviews!

**MG#6**


	11. Half Breed

**Author's Note:**

Well… because I'm such an action-crazed maniac, I think I'll have another fight -or something of the like- either in this chapter or the next… or maybe both! (Ooh)

* * *

_Day Twenty, Voyage One_

_Dearest friends and family,_

_My wound has finally healed over, with no further sign of infection, and I'm no longer feeling ill. I suppose now I'll be adept to venturing around the ship once more… but I'll be wary of the darker corners of the lower decks._

Rebecca paused, smoothing her left hand over her cheek. The wound had left no scar, but nonetheless the event had left an unseen impression upon the young woman. She knew now that she had to be much more careful while she didn't have an escort with her.

She set down her fountain pen when she heard something above her, a scuffling likely on the main deck of the ship. She corked the inkbottle and left the page open in her pocketbook so the ink could dry properly.

The young woman silently left her room and walked stealthily to the main deck. There was no one in sight and her footsteps echoed eerily against the floorboards. The closer she approached to the main deck, the louder the scuffling grew, accompanied by a thunderous roar of rowdy cheers.

Rebecca stepped onto the main deck and saw a chaotic state of being. Nearly every sailor was surrounding a small group of sailors, who were having a free-for-all brawl in the circle's centre. The sailors around the circle were chanting rhythmically, taking sides on who would likely win in the fight.

The young woman was speechless, and perhaps a little annoyed. Why was it that every time she decided to venture out of her quarters that something bad happened?

She skimmed the crowds, none of her friends were amongst the spectators but she could see that amongst the brawlers there was one nibble body.

"Simon?" Rebecca breathed. She hurried towards the crowd of sailors.

Unfortunately for Rebecca, the sailors were standing too close beside each other to allow her any access to the fight.

* * *

Suddenly, a loud boom of a cannon echoed across the main deck, halting the brawl. The sailors looked at the source of the noise, noticing that one of the starboard side manual-loading cannons had been fired.

Tristan Mantra, his hair neatly tucked under his tri-pointed hat, stood casually at the smoking cannon. He was holding the long pole-like device used to push the cannon ball into the depths of the barrel in one hand and was leaning against the cannon. The first mate casually collapsed the device as set it beside the cannon.

"Perhaps you barbarians didn't comprehend the message that the captain delivered to you in the first hour of being on this ship."

Slowly Tristan approached the crew, the undertone of his voice sounded outraged but he kept a tranquil exterior appearance.

"There will be no brawling on this ship." Tristan narrowed his rust-red eyes. "Offenders answer to me."

Simon crawled out of the crowd, not daring to challenge the first mate's authority.

* * *

More of the sailors dispersed from the crowd, leaving two sailors at the centre of the main deck. One of them frightfully retreated into the crowd and the remaining sailor glowered at Tristan.

"And what can a daddy's-boy like you do, to someone like me?" The sailor demanded in his deep voice and then sneered at the first mate.

He was easily the largest of the crewmembers, one of solid muscle and had four arms extending from his body. His four hands balled up into fists and a smug smirk played across his massive face.

"You're just a dirty half-breed…" The sailor spat.

Tristan's rust-red eyes, so similar to his father's, flared in rage as he turned to the sailor.

"What did you say?" He snapped.

The sailor laughed mockingly, seeing the nerve that he had prodded. "I said, that your alien mother is a slut an-."

The massive sailor had not time to finish his insult. Tristan had bolted towards the alien and tackled him with astonishing strength against the main deck.

There was nothing but a flurry of flying fists and foul language from the battle between the two sailors. Rebecca turned to Simon.

"Go get the captain." She ordered.

Simon nodded mutely and hurried towards the captain's quarters while the two sailors continued to fight one-on-one.

* * *

The captain hurried to the main deck with all due haste. When he saw the battle going on between his son and one of his crewmembers, he couldn't help but sigh.

Darcy Mantra pulled out his pistol and fired it over his head. The make of the pistol used more gunpowder and gave off a louder shot, which immediately stopped the brawl between the two sailors.

Tristan released his hold on the sailor and stormed past the crowds towards his cabin. The fight had knocked off his hat and a shock of green hair fell over his right eye.

Meanwhile, Darcy was escorting the offender into the brig. He advised to Simon –now the unofficial healer on the ship- to gather up some medical materials for the two sailors, as there were obvious wounds to be patched up.

Simon did as he was told and scurried off to the lower decks.

The last of the sailors returned to their previous businesses, leaving Rebecca standing alone on the main deck.

"So that was his secret…" She murmured to herself. The young woman stepped forward and grasped the tri-pointed hat. She dusted it off and decided to return it to the first mate.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks so much to Whisperwings for her betaing, and to every review I receive. By the way, Happy Holidays everyone!

**MG#6**


	12. The Next Voyage Is Nigh

**Author's Note:**

Ooh now what's going to happen?

* * *

There was a minute tapping at Tristan's cabin door. The first mate had just calmed down from the ordeal and slowly stood from his desk. He opened the door and was surprised to see who was at his door.

"Miss Clarke?" He raised an eyebrow.

Rebecca cleared her throat. "You dropped this." She held up his hat.

Tristan nodded, silently taking the hat. "Thank you…" He murmured.

"You're welcome, Master Mantra." Rebecca turned away.

"Tristan…" The first mate cut in. Rebecca glanced at him over her shoulder. Tristan cleared his throat. "You can call me Tristan, if you wish…"

"Alright… Tristan." Rebecca smiled weakly, turned away from him and walked down the hallway to her quarters.

Tristan looked over the hat in his hands and placed it back onto his head. He didn't tuck any of his bangs under the hat, and gently closed the door behind him.

* * *

Rebecca decided to wait until it was darker before she would venture onto the main deck.

After dinner, the Siren's Sonnet passed through a galaxy devoid of nearby starlight, and the ship was forced to run on the solar energy that was stored in its generators while the solar sails strained to absorb the light from faraway stars.

The young woman stood at the bow of the ship. She leaned against her forearms on the wooden railing of the ship and looked out into the dark reaches of the Etherium.

She heard a set of footfalls from behind her, and turned to see Simon.

"Quite the number Mister Tristan did on that stupid-head." The cabin boy stated and then sighed. "Densadrons are all the same you know… dense bodies but denser heads."

Rebecca smirked and looked out at the Etherium as Simon stood behind her. "I thought I saw you amongst the fighting, Simon…"

"Well…" The youth rubbed the back of his neck. "It's kind of complicated, really."

Rebecca sighed, feeling the ship's environment cool down generously from the lack of starlight.

"So, um, Miss Clarke…" Simon cleared his throat. "Why are you going to Los Terrano?"

Rebecca clasped her hands and looked at her fingers. "It's a bit of a long story."

"Well… I've got time, for now." Simon stated with a smile.

Rebecca smiled faintly and looked out at the distance stars. "My mother wanted me to find a suitor… to settle down like the rest of my family." She cleared her throat. "But I wanted to explore the Etherium, at least before settling down and getting married…" Rebecca sighed. "My mother wouldn't let me go unless I agreed to hiring an escort of mercenaries from Los Terrano, as it's the closest planet with those services." She shrugged and glanced at the cabin boy. "That's why I'm going to Los Terrano."

Simon pondered for a moment. "Did you ever think of finding a suitor during one of your voyages?" The youth enquired.

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked.

Simon smirked. "Well… you and John seem to get along well enough."

Rebecca gasped, offended. "I can't believe you would suggest such a thing, Simon Campbell!" She glared frankly at the young cabin boy.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "And what if I am?" He asked smugly.

Rebecca sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "John and I…" She looked out into the Etherium, "…we're just… friends." She stated faintly. She recalled that fateful night, and wondered what powers in the Etherium had made her do what she did. "Good… friends."

"Alright… alright…" Simon rolled his eyes. "Listen, I've got to go do some cabin boy stuff and check up on those stupid-heads in the brig." He gave Rebecca a casual salute. "I will see you later, Miss Clarke."

Rebecca mutely nodded and continued looking out into the Etherium.

The ship's atmosphere was beginning to cool down to an uncomfortable temperature and Rebecca wondered if the ship would still be able to sustain the lack of starlight.

Before she could begin to get hypothermia, Rebecca decided to retire to her cabin for the evening, hoping that she would be able to keep warm in her quarters.

* * *

When Rebecca next awoke, to the clanking of the breakfast bell, it was still dark out. She rose from her bed and dress herself in the deep green skirt, ivory blouse and deep green jacket that she had worn on the first day of the voyage.

She then proceeded to the mess hall, noticing how cool the entire ship was without the warmth of the solar winds. Upon arriving in the crowded room, she sighed at the relieving warmth from the cauldron of hot food.

Simon, John and Mr. Gibson were kept busy serving portions of hot food to the loudly demanding crewmembers.

* * *

Once the entire crew had been served, Mr. Gibson retreated into the galley, Simon was sent with two plates to give to the captain and first mate, and Rebecca invited John to eat with her.

The two young adults ate in silence, when they had eaten a generous amount of the food Rebecca decided to strike up a conversation.

"Where is your home planet John?" She enquired.

"It's on the other side of Los Terrano," John started, "Between Los Terrano an' the Theta Nebula…" he cleared his throat, "a little planet called Romano…" John couldn't help but smile as he thought about his home.

"Romano?" Rebecca smiled. "Then how did you end up in Treaka?"

John shrugged. "Just went off exploring when I was a young lad, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I took a few jobs as cabin boy on a few ships, an' finally ended up in Treaka…" He cleared his throat and nudged at his food. "I took a liking teh the place, an' lived a few years upstairs of a little restaurant in the Rocka-Towa sector of Towata."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "You were a Towatan?" She mused.

John chuckled. "Don't suppose I act like the grease monkeys from that sector, but that's where I truly found me specialty in the culinary arts."

Rebecca smiled and looked back at John. "It's good to have someone who knows Treaka, you know?" She stirred the food on her plate. "It keeps me from missing home…"

"Glad teh talk 'bout it…" John smiled widely. "Don't want teh forget me memories…"

Rebecca smiled warmly and continued eating her breakfast. John, having nothing to talk about, continued eating his food.

* * *

The Siren's Sonnet slowly began to regain speed from the lack of starlight as it approached the Tetra System, in which several white dwarf stars glowed brilliantly.

Los Terrano was within sight of telescopes, a small tawny dot on the horizon.

Rebecca stood at the bow of the ship, feeling the warm starlight against her face, and watching the small planet gradually grow bigger.

This voyage was coming to a close, and soon the next would begin…

* * *

_Day Twenty-Nine, Voyage One_

_Dearest friends and family,_

_We're expecting to arrive at the spaceport in Los Terrano mid-afternoon tomorrow._

_I'm glad of the friendships I've made on this voyage, as well as the lessons I've learnt (despite having to learn most of them the hard way), and I wonder what will be in store for me tomorrow... but I'll have wait until then to find out._

_It looks like the next chapter of my adventures is about to begin._

_Rebecca._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… I sense that this story's going to be quite a few more chapters that the first of the series -that is- if I don't type up longer chapters…

Oh well, more to do I suppose, thanks to Whisperwings for her proofreading work and to you readers for your undying patience.

**MG#6**


	13. Los Terrano

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the wait... there were some technical difficulties and scheduled events that delayed the posting of this chapter, but I now do give you this... and here's a thought: At this time (chapter) in "You Need to Find Yourself a Girl Mate" Scroop was suffering from Ariah's slavery...

* * *

Rebecca began packing her effects shortly after breakfast. She was wearing a navy-blue dress with a matching jacket and an ivory blouse. Her raven-black hair was tied into a bun at the nape of her neck and a few wispy bangs framed her face.

There was a soft tapping at her door and she looked up from her packing.

"Come in…" Rebecca called.

Simon slipped into Rebecca's room and smiled warmly. "I wanted to return this to you…" The youth pulled out the key from a pocket. "And I wanted to thank you once again, for all you've done…"

Rebecca smiled at the young girl. "You are a good friend, Sylvie." She stood from her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I know that you're going to do something amazing."

"How?" The young girl enquired.

Rebecca shrugged. "Just a feeling…" She stated.

Sylvie smiled widely and hugged Rebecca around the waist. "Thank you, Miss Clarke."

The young girl released the young woman, leaving the key on the writing desk before exiting the room.

Rebecca chuckled lightly, picking up the key and pocketing it. She packed away the last of her things and gave the room a thorough once-over.

The young woman grasped her bag of effects, stepped out into the corridor and locked the door behind her. She then walked towards the captain's quarters to settle the business affairs for the voyage, regarding financing and such.

* * *

The spaceport was within sight, hundreds of ships flocking to and fro amongst the bustling crowds of aliens. The buildings rose from the light tawny sands of the planet and were constructed of pale ochre concrete.

Rebecca stood -with Simon and John at her side- at the bow of the ship. The solar wind was pleasantly warm.

The Siren's Sonnet slowly dove through the atmosphere of Los Terrano and was navigated to the nearest dock. The ship was secured to the dock and the gangplank was laid down to the ground.

* * *

Once they were paid, each of the crewmembers left the main deck of the Siren's Sonnet and descended into the swarm of aliens in the spaceport.

Simon smiled to Rebecca. "I hope to meet you again soon, Miss Clarke!" The youth stated cheerfully with a wave before skipping down the gangplank and disappearing into the crowds.

Rebecca chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

"Strange lad, he was…" John shrugged.

"Strange lass, you mean." Rebecca corrected, walking towards the two commanders.

John paused, absorbing the information with a shocked expression. He then rolled over what the young woman had said once again and sighed, following Rebecca.

"Thank you for ferrying me here, Captain Mantra and Master Mantra." Rebecca politely thanked the two men.

"You're very welcome, Miss Clarke…" Darcy smiled broadly. The older man then turned away to tend to more of his ship.

Tristan glanced at the young woman and nodded. "Best wishes on your future journeys, Lady Rebecca."

"Thank you, Tristan…" Rebecca looked at the first mate. "You wouldn't want to come along, would you?"

Tristan chuckled lightly. "I thank you for the offer, Rebecca, but I'm afraid I must remain here with my father."

"I understand." Rebecca nodded and smiled. "The best wishes to you then."

"And to you." The first mate nodded curtly before turning away to tend to his duties.

Rebecca shook her head and began walking towards the gangplank.

"Since when did yeh get on a first name basis with the first mate?" John enquired.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow, noticing the undeniable tone of envy in his voice. "Jealous, John?" She asked.

"Of course not," John paused, "just curious…"

"Well curiosity killed the cat…" Rebecca pointed out, lifting her bag and walking down the gangplank.

"Rebecca." John shouldered his duffel bag.

Rebecca stopped in the middle of the gangplank and looked up at the young man. "Yes?"

John licked his now-dry lips. "I was wondering…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "If I could join yeh, teh wherever yeh are goin'…"

Rebecca smiled warmly. "I was just about to ask you the same thing." She stated. "Of course you can join me. I would enjoy nothing more than to have a friend by my side while I go exploring the Etherium."

John smiled back and followed Rebecca down the gangplank into the masses of aliens that were wandering the spaceport.

* * *

The two young adults wove through the crowds in search for the place to hired mercenaries. Rebecca had obtained the directions from one of the many street vendors and was paying close attention to the maze-like path of streets they were to go through.

Rebecca sighed as they walked past a row of strange hoofed animals that looked to be camels with zebra stripes. "I don't like the look of this part of town." She gulped.

An entourage of carts wheeled past them noisily, carrying wailing creatures and birds every colour. Other carts, packed with goods, were hauled down the dusty streets by oxen and other strange beasts of burden.

They continued walking, trying to keep out of the paths of the rickety carts and large creatures. They stood hopelessly at an intersection, trying to figure out which way they were supposed to go.

John groaned. "We'd better ask for another set of directions…"

Rebecca sighed. "I think you're right, John… We're completely lost in this spaceport."

Before either of the young adults could search for an alien that looked to be a local of the planet, a lengthy train of aliens proceeded forwards.

"Slaves…" Rebecca gasped in shock, observing that each alien was fastened to iron fetters and were attached by a chain to a main carriage.

A lumbering man sat atop one of the strange camel-zebra hybrids with a long cat-o'-nine-tails clasped in his hand. Rebecca could tell from the several wounds upon the slaves' backs that the whip wasn't likely used to guide the man's mount.

John and Rebecca stood back from the procession of slaves, watching them with silent shock. Rebecca wanted to look away from the maltreatment of these beings, but she couldn't avert her eyes.

* * *

One of the smaller slaves, near the back of the crowd, couldn't keep up and fell to the dusty ground. A few surrounding groups ridiculed the young slave, pointing at the fallen being and laughing horrendously. The slave driver noticed this commotion and steered his mount towards the fallen slave.

"Get up, boy!" The slave driver barked, brandishing his whip threateningly.

The small slave failed to rise upon his shackled feet; he must have been exhausted.

"I said get up!" The slave driver lifted his whip, ready to crack down the weapon upon the young slave's back.

"Stop!" Rebecca rushed forwards to save the young slave.

"Rebecca!" John hurried after the young woman.

The procession of slaves halted in their steps. The slave driver looked at Rebecca oddly.

"Can't you see that he's too tired to get up?" Rebecca shouted to the slave driver.

"The boy's a slave, I own him, and he'll do what I tell him to." The slave driver snarled, sliding down from his mount until he was level with the young woman. He glared intensely into Rebecca's eyes. "And the likes of you won't tell me what to do…"

John cut in between the commotion. "Are yeh barking mad, Lady Clarke?" John said with unusual formality, but this was part of his plan to fool the slave driver. "Running out into the streets, could of got yer ladyship killed…"

Rebecca -immediately catching on to what John was doing- played along. "Why thank you for your thoughtfulness, Mister Silver, I apologize that I worried you…"

The two young adults looked at the now-stunned slave driver. The lumbering man shook the shock from his mind and scoffed.

"The boy's useless to me anyways…" He grabbed the fallen slave boy by the forearm and forced him to his feet. "He's your responsibility now, _ladyship_." He said the last title with a tone of mockery and tossed the slave boy at John and Rebecca's feet after detaching him from the main procession. The slave driver then turned towards his quadriplegic mount, readying himself to climb back onto it.

John swiftly slapped the haunches of the slave driver's mount, scaring the beast into hurrying without its driver into the streets.

The slave driver face-planted into the dusty street as he lunged for his mount. "Come back!" The slave driver waddled after his mount while the large group of shackled slaves snickered quietly at the cruel man's disdain, giving John some rare smiles as they went.

* * *

Eventually, the procession of slaves lurched forwards through the streets, leaving John, Rebecca and the young slave boy in the middle of an intersection.

The shackled slave boy slowly rose from the ground, trying to support his body weight upon six tri-jointed legs. He was weak from exhaustion, and the added weight of the iron fetters provided no help to him. His legs were slim and black with a red point at the end of each, similar to those of a spider. His lower body had a red underside and a black top.

Separating his lower body from his torso was a band of deep blue exoskeleton. His torso was the same jet black as his legs and the top of his lower body. The slave boy tried to lift his shackled arms, which ended in two large pincers that were bright red at the ends and then continued in jet black along his arms.

His face was naturally bright red and sort of triangular shaped. His short, straight hair was a brilliant silver colour and he had a pair of fangs on his upper jaw. When the slave boy groaned in numb pain, he revealed that he had a set of teeth behind his fangs and on his lower jaw.

Slowly, the young arachnid opened his golden eyes and looked up at the young adults.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to Whisperwings for her awesome skills of editing and such.

**MG#6**


	14. Martin Kovacs

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for the wonderful reviews and enjoy!

* * *

The young arachnid groaned, still having trouble lifting himself onto his feet against the weight of the iron fetters.

Rebecca looked at John in concern before crouching next to the slave boy. "John, help me with him…" She pleaded as she wrapped one of her arms around the young alien's torso and looped his chained arm over her shoulder.

John nodded, following suit with the arachnid's other arm and he and Rebecca lifted the small slave boy from the ground.

"We need to find a locksmith to remove these shackles…" Rebecca stated.

"Aye, an' a doctor." John nodded. "The kid's far from healthy as far as I can tell…"

"Need a hand there?" An inquisitive voice enquired from behind the two young adults.

Rebecca turned her head to look over what could only be explained as a five and a half foot squirrel with rust-red fur that stood upright like a human. The squirrel humanoid wore a pair of loose navy-blue trousers with a matching open-chest vest and he had a sheathed short sword at his waist.

"If you could give us the correct directions to the nearest doctor and to a locksmith or blacksmith, then that would be most appreciated." Rebecca stated, straining a little from the weight of the iron shackles on the young alien.

"Certainly." The squirrel humanoid nodded politely. "If you would please follow me, the locksmith is close by and I'll show you the way…" He had a calm, paced voice that one wouldn't expect coming from a squirrel -then again- one wouldn't expect anything coming from a squirrel, much more a five and a half foot squirrel humanoid.

"Thank you." Rebecca sighed gratefully. She glanced at John and they followed the stranger through the maze-like streets of the city.

* * *

The locksmith that they had been led to was tirelessly working away at removing the shackles safely from the young arachnid, and John was searching for local medicine to heal the aforementioned boy.

Meanwhile, the squirrel humanoid had introduced himself to Rebecca as Martin Kovacs. Martin had mentioned that he was one of many mercenaries open for hire from Los Terrano and that he was a skilled swordsman.

"Of course, I'm not bragging." Martin stated with a warm chuckle. "I've just had a generous amount of experience."

Rebecca nodded. "Are you on any present missions now, Martin?"

"Not at all, Miss Rebecca…" The squirrel humanoid smiled. "I'm up for hire: for any task and for any length of time. It's the mercenary's life, you see."

Rebecca smiled softly. "Might I interest you in a part-time position as a member of my escort?" She enquired.

"An escort?" Martin chuckled. "Pardon me, Miss Rebecca, but you don't seem like the type who needs protecting."

Rebecca shrugged. "Really it's to ease my mother's nerves…" She sighed. "The only reason she allowed me to go exploring is that she was convinced that I'd have an escort with me for the majority of the time."

Martin raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you just lie to her?" He asked.

Rebecca chuckled. "She's got contacts all over the Etherium." She stated. "I'm afraid that she'd find out sooner or later, and that would be the end of my exploits."

Martin sighed. "Well, I'm interested -to say the least- and honoured at such an offer." He smiled. "But perhaps you might want to see some of the other mercenaries before you think of hiring me…"

"Nonsense." Rebecca smiled genuinely. "You're a good man –Martin- and you've helped us out already. You have a keen sense of direction and I'll admit, you're very likeable."

Martin chuckled at the flattery. "Well if you insist, Miss Rebecca." He cleared his throat and saluted formally. "I would be honoured to be a member of your escort, Lady Clarke."

Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle.

* * *

Soon after the discussion between the fast-forming friends, the locksmith poked his head out of his work tent. His face was sunken from age like that of a dog, though he was undoubtedly human, and his hair had greyed from many years of working.

"Lady Rebecca?" He whispered, looking at the young woman with his bright blue eyes.

"Yes?" Rebecca stood from her position outside of the locksmith's work tent.

"My work's done here," he stated, "but might I suggest getting this boy to the nearest doctor?"

"Why?" Rebecca gasped. "What's wrong?"

The locksmith shook his head sadly. "The kid's running a high fever… which is odd for his species… you know, arachnids." The aged worker rubbed the back of his neck. "I've seen the two sub-species of arachnids, and know a bit about them… The desert sub-species are a lot like scorpions," he explained, "very resistant to the heat and their exoskeleton's impermeable to nearly everything…" the locksmith continued, "There's also another sub-species that resides in jungle areas, a lot like spiders… they're nimble, their exoskeleton's also diamond-hard… but…" The locksmith motioned for Rebecca and Martin to follow him into the tent.

Rebecca stepped into the tent and looked around. The tent was filled with an assortment of metal tools of assorted shapes and sizes used for picking locks. The young slave boy lay asleep on a cushion in the corner of the tent.

"This kid… he's like neither of the arachnid sub-species that I've ever seen…" the locksmith pointed out, "…and if he's running a fever, I'd say that he's still very young… not more than three years of age…"

Rebecca gasped. "That young?" She looked at the locksmith.

"Yes," the locksmith folded his arms over his chest, "but arachnid's don't have the same maturity as us humans… this kid would probably act like a ten-year-old if he was healthier… still," he shook his head, "I'm intrigued by this kid… he's very unique for his species…"

"Perhaps he's a hybrid." John cut in from behind them, causing Rebecca to jump a little from surprise.

"Yes…" The locksmith nodded. "Perhaps he is…" He looked over the slave boy. "I wouldn't be surprised if this kid's parents were slaves as well, which would provide reason to the interbreeding of the two sub-species and it would explain why he was a slave even at a young age…"

Rebecca looked over the arachnid, dozing peacefully against the cushion; his arms were wrapped around himself.

"Did you find any medicine?" The locksmith asked.

"Yes, sir." John pulled a bottle from his jacket pocket and handed it to the elderly man.

"Thank you, lad." The locksmith uncorked the bottle and emptied it into a bowl of cool water. "I assume that you had a few errands to run, Lady Rebecca?" The locksmith asked as he dipped a cloth into the cool water. "Something about hiring an escort?"

Rebecca blinked. "Yes… thank you." She shook herself back to her senses. "How did you know?"

"Keen hearing, Miss…" The locksmith smiled widely. "You need it for lock-picking, you know." He shrugged. "I hate to digress but, if you wish -Lady Rebecca- I could provide some humble places for you and your entourage to sleep for the night… I know myself that the inns in this port are harder to get into than it is to find water in the desert."

"It's true, Miss Rebecca…" Martin stated bluntly. "If we mercenaries didn't have shared quarters at the institution, we'd be paying half of our salaries to innkeepers and would still have to wait most of the night for a room."

Rebecca smiled at the man's generosity. "Thank you… I'm going to hire the rest of my escort, but I'll be back within the hour… is there anything else that you'll need?"

"Not a thing, Lady Rebecca," the kind locksmith smiled, "I've got most of my family's healing tonics in storage, and you can trust me that the kid's in good hands."

Rebecca nodded curtly, "Martin? John?" She motioned towards the entrance of the tent.

"Right," Martin smiled, "I'll lead the way."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you Whisperwings for taking the time to edit this chapter!

**MG#6**


	15. Gold, Jade, Copper and Silver

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… now to introduce some more characters!

* * *

The institution, in which the mercenaries lived and were hired, was a tightly packed building. Aliens of every shape and size wandered about the building.

The residents could be easily discerned from the aliens hiring them, as they had an air of calm about the institution. On the other hand, those hiring mercenaries were nervous about being in a building full of potentially dangerous aliens.

Some of the mercenaries were relaxing, others wrestling and challenging each other, and others writing reports in tiny, black notebooks.

Martin led the way through corridors, friendlily greeting some acquaintances as they passed by a variety of rooms. He left Rebecca and John at the hiring desk while he went to prepare his effects for voyaging.

A young feline jovially spun around on the stool at the hiring desk, looking to be no older than five years of age. She had black fur and resembled a panther, with wide yellow-green eyes, and she wore a pink dress. The feline looked up at the new arrivals and smiled widely, showing off her pointed teeth.

"Mommy!" The young girl called towards a room behind the hiring desk. "Customers!"

A lean female feline, wearing a thick ivory robe that covered all of her body except for her paws and head, walked beside her daughter. She had the same panther-like appearance and eyes like her daughter, and she smiled softly.

"How can I help you?" The feline enquired kindly.

Rebecca stepped forwards. "I'm looking for a few mercenaries that will be available as members of an escort."

"You mean those who won't have any prior missions or any in the immediate future to interfere with travelling plans?" The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "How many are you looking for?"

"The escort's going to total four," Rebecca explained, "but I've already unofficially hired Martin Kovacs."

The grown feline nodded and hurried into the back room. In the mean time, while her mother was gone, the young feline looked curiously at John and Rebecca. It seemed that the young girl wasn't too familiar with humans.

"Here we are…" The grown feline entered the main room with a clipboard clasped in her paws. "I'm afraid that we only have three free mercenaries at the moment, besides Mister Kovacs, so you won't have a variety of choices."

"It's alright…" Rebecca nodded. "Who are they?"

"Mister Jarred O'Riley, Miss Juanita Jones, and Mister Henry Jemseg…" The feline read the notes from her clipboard.

Rebecca continued to discuss business with the grown feline while the young feline was staring at John. The young man raised an eyebrow at the young girl and then ignored her.

Martin shortly arrived afterwards, with his effects, and the trio waited for the three other aliens to be summoned to the hiring desk.

* * *

An athletic blue-skinned man, a broad-shouldered eagle-humanoid, and a fit blue-skinned woman arrived shortly after they had been summoned.

The blue-skinned man timidly introduced himself as Jarred O'Riley. The young man was skilled in mechanics, specializing in mechanics on ships. He had short navy-blue hair that was spiked up along the bangs, his eyes were a bright green, and he wore a loose olive-green shirt and tawny trousers over black boots.

The eagle humanoid curtly introduced himself as Henry Jemseg. He specialized in navigation, was a sharp shooter, and an adequate hand-to-hand combatant, evident from his stocky appearance. His attire was similar to that of a spacer but was a deep green in colour with gold edging and he wore black trousers and knee-high boots. He had yellow-brown eyes and pale tawny feathers.

The blue-skinned woman cheerfully introduced herself as Juanita Jones. She specialized in scouting and stealth, making her an adequate lookout. Her navy-blue hair was braided along her scalp in thick cornbraids that looked almost like chords. She had bright green eyes and wore a loose cream-coloured blouse under a crimson oriental-styled vest with light brown trousers over her dark brown boots.

The four mercenaries had their effects prepared and they all left the institution.

* * *

"Smithy!" Juanita greeted the locksmith with a friendly hug as they entered the tent.

"It's good to see you, Isaac…" Henry nodded curtly.

"You as well, Henry." The locksmith smiled warmly.

"Thank you for the accommodations, Mister Smith." Jarred stated respectfully.

Rebecca smiled, surprised that each member of her escort knew the old man on a friendly-basis, as she entered the tent. "Mister Smith…" She looked to the locksmith.

"Yes, Lady Rebecca?" Isaac turned to the young woman.

"How is he doing?" She was referring to the young slave boy.

Isaac's face brightened a little. "He's getting better, milady… don't you fret."

"Has his fever broken?" Rebecca enquired.

Isaac nodded. "He's still sleeping, I brought him into the back room where it's quieter."

Rebecca nodded, smiling weakly. "Thank you," she added, "for all you've done."

"I'm not done yet, milady, but you are welcome…" Isaac smiled warmly.

The evening began to grow darker as the night fell. One by one, small lanterns within Isaac Smith's tent began to come alive in the light's absence, giving the tent a warm atmosphere.

* * *

A pale mist covered the land, giving it a mysterious atmosphere. The landscape was unfamiliar; parts of it were blurred out, like a smudged painting. A bright full moon shone in the night sky, its rays descending on a woman sitting upon a large boulder.

The woman was looking to the sky, her hair the colour of ebony and her skin as pale as marble. In her arms was a small bundle of clothing. She looked down affectionately at the bundle with a pair of pale eyes the colour of jade.

The woman gently pulled back some clothing and revealed the face of a young baby. The little girl had a similar appearance as the woman, pale skin and dark hair.

The baby slowly opened her eyes, revealing them to be the warmest copper-brown ever imaginable. The baby's eyes looked up into the woman's and then out into the mind's eyes of the young slave boy -who was having this dream- forcing him to wake up.

* * *

The young arachnid opened his golden eyes and looked around. He was in a dark room, looking to be an additional section of a tent. He loosened his grip on the cushion that he had been sleeping on, and pulled himself to his feet.

He slowly clicked towards a flap of the tent, and cautiously peered out of it into another room. This was the main room of the tent, one that the young arachnid remembered in which the kind locksmith had been picking the locks of his shackles.

The young arachnid looked around, the room was empty, but the entrance of the tent was flapping slightly in the wind from the outside. He silently crept towards the entrance of the tent and slipped outside.

* * *

The stars in the night sky twinkled against their deep indigo background, descending an eerie darkness upon the city. The young arachnid looked around the exterior of the tent and nearly jumped out of his exoskeleton when he spotted a woman.

Normally he would have ignored her and continued with his escape, but this woman had a striking resemblance to the woman from his dream; pale skin, dark hair, and pale green eyes. The woman turned and looked at him.

"You're up…" She smiled warmly. "A strange time to be waking, but nonetheless I'm glad that you're alright."

The young arachnid was taken aback by the woman's friendliness.

"Do you understand me?" The woman asked.

The young arachnid simply nodded and allowed himself to get closer to the woman.

"Good…" The woman cleared her throat. "My name's Rebecca… could you tell me your name?" She enquired politely.

The young arachnid gulped and nodded. Rebecca waited patiently for him to answer.

"It's… Scroop." The arachnid stated in a voice much gruffer than one would expect from an alien his size and age.

Rebecca smiled warmly. "Scroop." She nodded.

"Why are you out here, Rebecca?" Scroop asked timidly.

"Couldn't sleep." Rebecca stated simply, she glanced at the young arachnid. "Why are you out here, Scroop?"

The young arachnid looked at the ground in shame. "I was… trying to escape."

Rebecca shrugged. "There's no need to escape from anything, Scroop, you're a free being now…" She smiled warmly. "You have been one since your shackles were removed, and you're free to go wherever you wish."

Scroop looked up at the young woman strangely. "You mean… I'm free?" He asked.

Rebecca nodded. "I would never keep a slave, especially one as young as you, it's just not right." She shrugged. "Servants, certainly, but never someone forced against their will to do labour…"

Scroop blinked, absorbing the information. He was finally free… after all of the hard years from being borne into slavery. He shook his head.

"Of course." Rebecca added. "You are certainly welcome to join us on our voyaging…"

"Us?"

"Yes," Rebecca smiled, "Martin, Juanita, Henry, Jarred, myself and John."

"Where are you going?" Scroop asked.

"Well." Rebecca pushed some loose bangs back from her face. "We're going to take a ferry to Romano, as John's willing to let us use his family's heirloom ship in order to reduce the travelling costs… then we're going to go to the Giga Metropolis on the populated planet of Emery."

Scroop paused to think over Rebecca's offer. He sighed. "I'll come along." He stated.

"You will?"

Scroop nodded. "I don't have any family, they died when I was… younger."

Rebecca looked over the youth with concern.

The golden-eyed arachnid looked back at Rebecca. "I won't be welcomed like anything more than a slave elsewhere… I'm a freak of nature, you know."

Rebecca's eyes softened. "Is that what they called you?" She asked gently.

Scroop looked away. "I'm an unnatural hybrid of a scorpion and a spider," he looked down at his pincers and furrowed his brow, "…a monster…"

Rebecca was silent for a moment. "I don't think that." She stated.

Scroop looked up at her with his wide golden eyes.

"You may be a hybrid," she paused and looked over the young arachnid, "but that doesn't make you a freak, or a monster…" she smiled warmly, "you're simply unique, Scroop."

Scroop paused for a moment. Rebecca's words reminded him of his mother's when he was younger. He looked up at Rebecca.

Rebecca's warm smile remained. "Well, I'm glad of your decision to come with us, Scroop." She cleared her throat. "Now, you'd better get some sleep… we're going to leave early tomorrow morning to catch the ferry to Romano."

Scroop nodded and turned around, heading towards the tent, and paused at the entrance to glance back at the young woman. She had resumed watching the stars. He shook his head, smiling weakly to himself, and he entered the tent.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

Thank you to Whisperwings, for betaing, and to my awesome readers, for your reviews!

**MG#6**


	16. Ferry to Romano

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to Whisperwings for her betaing services…

* * *

_Voyage Two, Day One_

_Dearest friends and family,_

_The taxi I arranged to ferry us to Romano was late this morning, so we didn't get off of Los Terrano until noon. Thankfully, there is an energy increase in the solar winds, so it looks like we'll be able to arrive in Romano by mid-afternoon tomorrow._

_I'm glad John's willing to provide us with available transportation, else the ferry to Emery and any other planets would have surely cost me greatly; now I'll only need to fund my escort and the provisions for each voyage._

_The young slave boy, Scroop, has warmed up a little to the mercenaries, though he's still a little reluctant to talk. I've noticed that John's taken to him. He apparently knows the arachnid tongue -for reasons beyond me- but this seems to put Scroop at ease, similarly to when John and I speak about Treaka. There's no doubt that John has the ability to bring back memories…and to relax one's nerves. It must be his nonchalant, carefree attitude that does this…_

* * *

Rebecca closed her pocketbook once the writing had dried and she looked around. She and Juanita were sharing a cabin with three other female passengers, who were currently chatting idly in their alien language on the bench across from them.

Juanita was busy writing down a report in her black notebook with a fountain pen, often shaking the utensil and complaining under her breath that it was low on ink.

John, Henry, Jarred, Martin and Scroop were in the cabin across the aisle from them. As far as Rebecca knew Henry was still in the cabin -working on reports- and John, Martin, Jarred and Scroop had left their cabin to visit the observation deck of the ferry.

The young woman sighed, cleaning her pen and putting away her things. Juanita looked up from her black notebook after trying to get her fountain pen to work once again.

"You going somewhere?" She enquired.

"I'm just going to look around, I'll be back." Rebecca reassured. "No escort required."

"Got'cha…" Juanita friendlily saluted and returned to her work.

Rebecca slipped out of the cabin and looked down the hallways. This level of the ferry was full of small cabins in which the passengers would sleep. Rebecca knew that below the passengers' cabins were a few other levels carrying cargo as this ferry doubled as a merchant transport of goods between Romano and Los Terrano.

The young woman walked down the corridor of the deck and turned down another hallway, which led up a set of stairs to the double doors entering the observation deck.

* * *

Rebecca slipped through the door and looked at the observation deck. This level of the ferry was a true marvel. The room dipped down another level, an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the deck, and she was standing at the top of a grand staircase.

The walls of the observation deck were made of thick glass, reinforced by metal frames, and allowing a fantastic view of the Etherium.

Rebecca noted that she had gone through the main entrance. There were two side entrances, a level up from the grand staircase. Each side entrance had a short staircase that joined to the main entrance, shaping the entire stair complex like the letter 'T'.

At the foot of the grand staircase was a dance floor. The polished wood of the dance floor glimmered under the light of the crystal chandelier and a few dancing couples danced elegantly to the ballroom music played by a group of musicians.

Rebecca began to wonder if she had bought tickets to a luxury cruise rather than a ferry to Romano, because there were many finely-dressed aliens wandering the observation deck and formal servants in suits answering the needs of the passengers.

The young woman slowly descended the grand staircase, looking around the crowded ballroom for a familiar face.

* * *

"There's Rebecca…" Scroop pointed out, drawing his companions' attention to the lady.

"Good eyes, kid." Martin complimented.

John was speechless. Under the light of the crystal chandelier, surrounded by the thousands of stars in the Etherium, Rebecca was absolutely stunning, despite still wearing her normal travelling clothes.

"John… John…" Martin prodded the young man in his arm.

"What?" John snapped out of his daze and looked at the squirrel humanoid.

"You're gapping at Miss Rebecca like a Space Fish." Jarred pointed out.

"Am not." John narrowed his eyes.

"Are too." Martin smirked devilishly.

"Don't yeh start," The young man grumbled.

"It's alright mate, she's a lovely lady to ogle." Martin stated.

"I'm not ogling her!" John retorted.

"He's in denial." Jarred laughed. The young alien's laugh was soon cut off when Juanita called to Rebecca from the top of one of the side entrances to the grand staircase.

Juanita casually slid down the banister of one of the side staircases, and she landed lightly on the platform at the head of the grand staircase. Rebecca laughed at the alien woman's antics and walked with her down the grand staircase.

"Who's ogling who now?" John raised an eyebrow.

"Ah… that's normal." Martin brushed off the comment, clapping his paw on Jarred's shoulder. "This chap's so head over heels for Juanita, he can hardly think straight when she's in the same room as him."

Jarred shook himself out of his ogling stupor, "I can so!" He stated firmly. "I just can't talk to her… like a normal person."

"An' why's that?" John enquired as the two women saw them and walked towards them.

"I don't know…" Jarred rubbed the back of his neck. "My tongue gets tied, and I say stupid things…" he sighed, "she probably thinks I'm an idiot." Jarred turned away and looked out the window. "Tell me she didn't see me…" He whispered desperately.

"'Red! Didn't know you were out here!" Juanita's enthusiastic voice called out.

"She saw you." Scroop stated bluntly. The young arachnid yawned and decided to leave the noisy ballroom to retire to his cabin.

"Ugh!" Jarred hit his forehead against the window in dismay. He turned around to face the approaching women.

"Thought you always got _sea-sick_ went we're on sailing missions." Juanita smiled smugly as she looked at Jarred.

"Well…" Jarred's face flushed a darker blue, "it's funny that you should mention it… but I _am_ feeling a little nauseous right now…" He laughed half-heartedly. "So, I think I'll be returning to my cabin…" The blue-skinned man tried to edge out of the crowd.

"Not until we dance a number!" Juanita stated cheerfully, grabbing Jarred by the wrist and dragging him towards the dance floor.

"But-I-can't-dance-and-we-need-to-guard-Miss-Rebecca-and-I don't-want-to-step-on-your-toes-and-" Jarred belted out every possible excuse while Juanita dragged him.

"Not listening!" Juanita retorted. Once she had effectively dragged Jarred onto the dance floor, she spun around and got into dancing positions.

Jarred froze, his face flushed up and he could feel sweat beginning to form at his hairline.

"I'm sure you're a fine dancer, Jarred…" Juanita stated quietly. "Miss Rebecca's got Marty with her -though I doubt anyone would try to attack her on a ferry- and if you step on my toes then I'll step on your toes right back." She smirked warmly.

Jarred relaxed a little and began to follow Juanita's lead in the dance number.

* * *

Rebecca laughed softly as she watched two members of her escort dance around on the dance floor. "Is Juanita always that forceful?" She asked Martin.

The squirrel humanoid chuckled. "Until Jarred finds the stomach to ask her himself, I'm sure that Juan will always be like that."

Rebecca smiled, shaking her head. "She knows what she wants…" She stated.

There was a pause then Martin cleared his throat. "Pardon me Miss Rebecca, but I have some reports that I've neglected to finish, and I'll need to write them up before I have a chance to slack off once more." Martin excused himself politely and left the ballroom.

The young woman chuckled lightly and then looked around. _'I wonder where John has gone off to…'_ She pondered to herself.

Rebecca walked down one of the hallways that branched from the ballroom. The exterior wall was made of glass. The light of the Etherium provided a gentle glow to the corridor, and so lanterns weren't necessary. Rebecca spotted John standing by the vast window overlooking the Etherium.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She set her hands down on the railing that was installed along the wall, stood beside the young man and looked out at the night sky.

John wanted more than anything to add _'like you'_ to what Rebecca had said, but he kept his mouth shut and mutely nodded.

Rebecca smiled. "We're not that far from Romano now, are we?" She enquired.

John smiled weakly. "See that little blue planet on the horizon?" He stepped closer to the young woman and pointed at a blue dot.

"Yes…" Rebecca looked at the small sphere.

"That's Romano." John stated. "Most of it is ocean yeh see…"

"It must be a beautiful place." Rebecca stated.

"Well," John rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, "it tends teh rain a lot, but it's home." he smiled. "On the days when the weather's clear... it's like a miracle." He looked at the sphere, as if recalling something from a distant memory.

Rebecca looked at John; he had the far-off look in his eyes.

"The clouds part; an' it's warm enough teh go swimming…" John explained.

Rebecca smiled; almost seeing what John was remembering by the way he'd express himself with his hands.

John continued, "…an' at the end of the day, the sunset is the most beautiful yeh'd ever imagine..."

Rebecca looked into John's eyes. "I'd like to see that sunset." She whispered softly.

John chuckled. "Maybe yeh will…" He set his hands down on the railing. His left hand brushed against Rebecca's right hand.

The two young adults drew back their hands, as if the contact had caused an electric shock. They could clearly see the blushes on each other's faces in the glowing starlight.

* * *

Rebecca felt a giggle well up in the back of her throat and she tried to cover her smile with her hands. John raised an eyebrow at Rebecca but soon was trying to hold back a laugh himself.

Finally the young adults couldn't hold back their mirth and they burst into a chorus of laughter. They didn't stop laughing until tears welled up in their eyes and their stomachs began to ache.

"So much for modesty…" Rebecca wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled to John.

"Ah well," John shrugged, "sometimes laughing is the only thing yeh can do," he stated.

Rebecca giggled quietly and set down her left hand on the railing. She looked out at the Etherium, her body still turned towards John's.

* * *

The ship lurched unexpectedly and Rebecca stumbled forwards. John quickly caught Rebecca in his arms. The tremors stopped after a while, and a booming announcement follow afterwards.

"This is your captain speaking, do not be alarmed." The announcement continued, "We are merely experiencing some turbulence from a fluctuation in the solar winds, and the ship will return to its normal stability in a few moments."

Rebecca looked up into John's eyes and smiled. "I'm not very capable of staying on my feet, am I, John?"

John smiled back. "So long as I'm here teh catch yeh, I think yeh'll be fine…"

A bright light filled the corridor, and the two young adults looked out the vast window. A glowing body of bright light slowly edge past the glass.

"A comet." Rebecca whispered; she turned to face the window and she watched the mass of burning space matter.

"They say if yeh make a wish on a comet's tail, it'll come true…" John stated.

Rebecca wrapped her arm around John's as she looked out at the glowing comet. "I wish I could see the sunset on Romano when it's not raining…" She whispered.

John chuckled. "A fair wish." He stated. "I wish the same, Rebecca. I want yeh teh see the sunset after the rain…" His hand brushed against Rebecca's and he felt her fingers entwine with his own. "I know yeh'll like it."

They stood together watching the burning comet whisk away, taking their wishes with it.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yes, my design of the ferry was based _loosely_ around the design of the Titanic…

**MG#6**


	17. Romano

**Author's Note:**

Thank you once again to Whisperwings, for her marvellous betaing skills.

* * *

"We will be shortly landing in Corsla Bay -capital city of Romano- thank you for travelling with La Vitesse and enjoy your stay in Romano." The announcement ended as the vast ferry landed in the main spaceport.

The hundreds of passengers were guided out of the ferry while workers from Romano unloaded goods from the ferry's cargo hold.

Rebecca looked around the port city. As opposed to the crowded and confusing streets of Los Terrano, Corsla Bay was less crowded and the streets were open, possibly because it was raining.

"C'mon…" John guided the group through the cobblestone streets with a sharp knowledge of the city's layout. "There are carts that can transport us teh me hometown, just up ahead." The group followed John's lead through the rain.

Without warning, a particularly large carriage bolted through a pool of water that had filled in a pothole in the street. John leapt in front of Rebecca, so the young woman wouldn't take the splash herself.

Rebecca gasped, looking at the now-soaked young man, as the carriage passed by without a second's pause.

John shrugged nonchalantly. "If I 'ad a nickel for every time that happened… I'd be richer than a king." He smiled widely.

Rebecca smiled back. "Thanks, John."

A rolling thunder sounded far above them, warning them of the coming storm.

"Let's go…" John motioned as they neared the stables where the transportation carts were kept.

* * *

"John Silver!" A friendly voice greeted the young man as he entered the corral in which masses of four legged creatures were hitched up to carts. "Didn't think I'd see the likes of you any time soon!"

"How's business been Kenny?" John titled his hat politely to the alien tending to the beasts of burden.

"Same old, same old." Kenny shrugged, tying up the creature he was tending to and he walked towards the group.

Kenny was a tall and thin prawn-like alien. His bright green exoskeleton had black stripes like those of a tiger. His had beady-black eyes that were perched at the ends of stick-like antennae on his head. He had pincers and stood on two feet like a humanoid.

"Kennedy!" A barking voice sounded from behind the stable boy, who turned around.

A stocky man, of the Ursa species, entered the stable. He had a wide frame, a pair of floppy dog-like ears, and a dark bronze tone to his skin. He had broad facial features and wore a leather apron over a loose burgundy shirt and dark brown trousers.

"You're shift's almost over." The man stated bluntly. "Are you heading home tonight, or staying?"

"I was thinking of heading back to Grenad Harbour for the night," Kenny stated, "but with Hurricane Jasper coming in… it's definitely going to take a while to get there."

"Ah…" The Ursa turned and looked over John with dark amber eyes. "Good to see you, John…" He greeted the young man with a broad smile. "It's been what, six months?"

John rubbed the back of his neck. "That long?"

The Ursa chuckled. "Are you looking for a ride to Grenad Harbour as well, Silver?" He offered, scratching his cheek. "I'm sure we could arrange a discount price for you and your friends here." He gestured to the group.

"As a matter of fact, I am…" John smirked.

The Ursa man and John left the main stable as the entourage looked around.

Rebecca walked up to one of the four-legged beasts. "What are they?" she enquired.

"They're Khorasan Rhinoceroses." Kenny stated as he escorted one of the mighty beasts across the stable and began to hitch it up to a cart.

"Doesn't seem very fast." Juanita thought aloud, remarking how the beast seemed to take its time walking.

"They're more for endurance than speed." Kenny replied as he wove a cocoon of thick leather and metal chains around the beast's middle, serving as a saddle of sorts. "And here in Romano, when it rains the majority of the year, endurance is definitely the way to go." He cleared his throat. "But if you get one of them riled up, they can charge quite fast, and you don't want them to do that."

Rebecca stepped closer to the animal, looking over it. The animal's hide had a leathery texture to it, however it was composed of a brilliant assortment of colours like that of a woven tapestry.

John and the Ursa man returned to the main stable. The two men spoke in hushed voices; the Ursa man clapped John friendlily on the shoulder before nodding and leaving the stable. John looked up and smiled broadly to his companions.

"We're good teh get teh Grenad Harbour." He stated.

"Excellent." Kenny responded as he escorted the Khorasan Rhinoceros towards the exit of the stables. "If you're all ready to go now, we'd best be off before the hurricane hits."

John nodded, motioning to the entourage to follow Kenny out of the stable so they could load up the cart outside.

* * *

The Khorasan Rhinoceros vigilantly pulled the cart through the pouring rain with Kenny at the reins of the cart. The cart was box-like, the walls lined with benches to sit on, and the back of the cart had a small staircase hitched to the door to assist people into the cart.

John and Rebecca sat together on the smaller bench behind Kenny's driver seat. Sitting on the benches on their left side was Juanita, Jarred and Scroop, and sitting on the benches on their right side was Henry and Martin.

Scroop was curled up at one end of the bench, tired from the day of travelling, and fast asleep. The four mercenaries were having a hushed conversation, leaning forwards in order to hear each other.

Rebecca looked at John and smiled. "Who was that man at the stables?" She asked. "You seemed to know him…"

"The stable master?" John raised an eyebrow.

Rebecca nodded.

John shrugged. "His name's Hans Bowman… a relative from me mother's side of the family, third cousin or something like that."

"An Ursa?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow.

John chuckled warmly. "I'm part-Ursa meself, yeh know." He lifted his hat off of his head and a pair of small floppy ears came into view. He scratched his chin and rubbed the back of his neck as Rebecca looked at him.

The young woman laughed to herself weakly. "You'd think that I'd be more observant."

John shrugged, replacing his hat. "Pretty much, every human on Romano 'as a bit of Ursa in 'em." He explained. "But the physical traits of the species aren't really recessive, per se, it's more the spirit that lives in us." He smiled.

Rebecca nodded, settling against the wooden wall of the cart. She sighed gently as she listened to the pouring rain hammering against the roof of the cart.

The lightening could be seen out the back window -dancing across the sky- and the eventual thunder growled like a slumbering beast. The Khorasan Rhinoceros would occasionally let out a lowly snort as it trekked through the unappealing weather.

Rebecca closed her eyes and let her body relax as she fell asleep.

* * *

The misty atmosphere returned in the arachnid's dreams as he slept soundly in the cart. A new landscape, similar to an expansive countryside along the edge of an ocean, came into view and a light overcast filtered bleached sunlight onto the ground.

In his mind's eye, Scroop climbed over the crest of a light and looked out onto a graveyard. A series of tombstones were lined neatly in rows, some with flowers laid around upon them.

An aged woman stood in front of a tombstone while Scroop stood watching from a distance. She had grey hair loosely tied back in a braid and her amber eyes were full of tears. The elderly woman affectionately patted the gravestone and turned away, leaving the cemetery. She looked up, seeing Scroop, and the arachnid was thrown out of his dreams once more.

* * *

Scroop's golden eyes flashed open as he hesitantly lifted his head to look around. Most of the passengers in the cart were still awake, with a few heads nodding off.

Rebecca was sleeping soundly; she had curled up against John's shoulder in her sleep, though it was evident that the young man didn't mind this.

Juanita and Jarred were both trying to stay awake while Martin and Henry remained alert.

The thunder had ceased outside of the cart and the rain had lightened up a little. The cart clacked against a new cobblestone road, indicating that they were nearing their destination.

* * *

Rebecca opened her eyes, noticing that the rhythm of the cart had changed with the terrain, and then she noticed that she had been sleeping against John's shoulder. For a moment, she debated whether she should move, as her head was quite comfortable resting where it was. But the cart began to slow down as it entered a town, and Rebecca knew that they'd be moving soon any way. She slowly lifted her head from John's shoulder and looked at the rear of the cart. The cart came to an abrupt halt and Kenny opened the door to the cart.

"We're at Grenad Harbour." The prawn stated. "Your house is just up ahead, John… the road's too narrow for the rhino to get through."

"No problem, Kenny." John rose from his seat and shouldered his duffel bag. "Thanks for taking us."

"It was a pleasure." Kenny stated friendlily.

* * *

The entourage unloaded themselves from the cart and faced a lengthy lane towards a large house.

"Wish this road was shorter…" John muttered to himself as he led the group down the laneway. The rain had picked up again and the evening was drawing to a close.

The warm light of the house ahead of them was so inviting that it strengthened their spirits to trudge through the rain. The ground under them was slick with mud, and it made the trek longer than would have been necessary.

They finally came up to the entrance of the house. John knocked on the door. It came to be a great surprise that the first thing they saw once the door opened was the muzzle of a double-barrel shotgun.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Anyone ever watch "District 9"? If so, then I'll have you know that Kenny is a similar species as the Prawns.

_Pronunciation guide: (just because)_

Corsla- "core-sla"

Grenad- (like grenade with "add" instead of "aid" sound at the end)

Khorasan- "koh-ruh-sahn"

Romano- "row-main-oh"

**MG#6**


	18. The Silver's Residence

**Author's Note:**

Hope I didn't give anyone a heart attack. If I did… I deeply apologize.

* * *

"Oh… Johnny!" An aged female voice –with a similar accent as John's- responded from the other end of the shotgun. The weapon was lowered to reveal a short elderly woman with grey hair and amber eyes. "Nearly stopped me heart lad…" She smiled up at John.

The group released the breaths they hadn't know that they had been holding as John knelt down to hug the older lady.

"Oh… An' yeh got some friends, too!" The old woman looked past John at the large group with a delighted smile. "Come in… come in!" She motioned for the group to enter the house with her. "Yeh 'ave gotta get outta the rain; it's almost dark out, come on!"

"Granny," the voice of a young man called from somewhere within the house as the group entered the front foyer, "I hope you're not letting in more travellers…"

A man with messy, dark brown hair and bright amber eyes entered the front foyer. He was dressed in a loose tawny shirt and black baggy trousers. His eyes widened as he looked upon John.

"Is that you, Johnny?" The young man asked rhetorically. "Man, it's been a while…"

"Now that's no way teh greet yer older brother, Jimbo!" The old woman accusingly poked the young man in his stomach.

"Pointing a gun in his face isn't nice either, Granny." The man retorted flatly.

The old woman shrugged. "These are dark days, lad… Pirates are roving about, can't be too careful, yeh know." She smiled as she casually slung the double-barrel shotgun over one shoulder and walked from the foyer into another room.

The young man -called Jimbo- sighed and looked at the group. "These all of your friends, Johnny?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Quite the entourage…" He looked over each face in turn and stopped on Rebecca's with a smile. "Ah, I see you've got yourself a girl, Johnny, it's about time."

Rebecca's face flushed a deep crimson as John smacked his younger brother on the back of his head and the rest of the escort tried to suppress their laughs.

"Mind yer mouth, Jimbo!" John cut in. "This is Lady Rebecca Clarke." He motioned to the still-blushing Rebecca.

"And the rest of them?" Jimbo raised an eyebrow.

"Her escort, yeh twit." John flattened his eyes.

"Ah…" Jimbo rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, 'bout that." He laughed half-heartedly. Then he cleared his throat and bowed formally. "Name's James Silver, milady… call me what you will."

Rebecca nodded. "Alright… and please, call me Rebecca."

"Are yeh boys goin' help out with the guests, or do I 'ave teh do everything in this house meself?" The elderly woman's voice called from one of the rooms in the large house.

John laughed heartily. "Thing's haven't changed much since I've been gone, huh?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.

Jimbo rolled his amber eyes at his older brother's comment and then he looked to the group. "Come along into the kitchen," he beckoned with a half-smile. "I imagine Granny will have dished out some supper for you already."

* * *

The group followed Jimbo and John through the homey rooms of the house, and were led into a vast steam-filled kitchen. The old woman was standing at a large stove, stirring a pot of bubbling stew.

"This'll warm all of yeh up." Granny smiled warmly as she began spooning ladlefuls of stew along a line of bowls.

The guests seated themselves around a large, round table that had enough chairs to serve their group twice over.

Jimbo and John then served the bowls of stew to the seated travellers as Granny stoked the fire within the stove to warm up the room.

Once the group finished their portions of hot food, they began asking for seconds.

"What is this, Mrs Silver?" Juanita enquired, after receiving her second helping of the food. "It's delicious!"

"Bonzabeast stew." Granny smiled warmly. "It's been in the family for quite a while."

"It's unlike anything I've ever sampled, Madame." Henry stated.

The older woman giggled bashfully. "I don't need any of this _Madame_ or _Mrs Silver_ balderdash…" She waved her hand. "Just call me Granny or Ethel."

Henry shrugged. "Likewise. It's very good."

The smile ceased to disappear from Ethel's wrinkled face as she turned away to tend to the fire as if out of instinct.

* * *

When each member of the group was too full of the Bonzabeast stew to eat anymore, Ethel and Jimbo began showing each guest to their appropriate rooms. It was apparent that the Silver family was a generous, hospitable bunch as their house had many extra guest rooms to provide for the travellers.

John led Rebecca up a set of spiralling steps while the rest of the group was settling down in their rooms. As much as Rebecca wanted to know where John was taking her, she trusted him enough to allow herself the ignorance.

The set of stairs ended as they walked down a narrow hallway. It became obvious that they were directly below the roof of the house as the ceiling was low and cut off at an angle. John pushed open the door of a room near the end of the hallway and motioned for Rebecca to follow him.

The young woman entered the room, noting that the ceiling in the room was much higher than in the hallways. It must've been part of a section of the roof that was higher that the rest of the house. Rebecca looked around the grand room.

There was a nostalgic appearance to the room, which reminded Rebecca of her own room back on Treaka. A canopy bed was in the centre of the room with a wardrobe to the right side of the room and vanity at the left side.

Rebecca was speechless as she looked around the room. A large window made up the far corner of the room with a small cushioned bench beside it.

The young woman walked up to the vanity and looked at the pictures lodged in the mirror's frame. There was one of a couple with their arms around each other -dressed in a style much older than that of the present era- but nonetheless smiling. Another photo was a small snapshot of two boys playing in the ocean, both smiling widely. The last photo was of a woman with prominent Ursa features who was dancing with a young man, their eyes were locked and they smiled at each other.

John stepped beside Rebecca, she saw his reflection in the mirror come up behind her, and he smiled at her warmly. "Don't suppose yeh'd recognize Granny when she was younger, if yeh'd look at her now…" He tapped at the woman in the first picture. "That's her an' Grandpa Jacob."

"Where is he now?" Rebecca looked up at John.

John sighed. "Died when I was a young lad…"

"Oh." Rebecca chewed on her bottom lip; she looked at the second picture and smiled. "I have a feeling that this is you and your brother." She pointed at the two boys.

John chuckled. "Yeah…" He shook his head as he recalled a childhood memory. "Me an' Jimbo were partners in crime…" He smiled. "Always getting into trouble."

Rebecca smiled, and then looked at the last picture. "Who's this?" She enquired.

"That's me dear mother an' me pap…" He looked down at the photo and smiled. "It was taken on their wedding day." John rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "But me ma died from complications of childbirth when she was having me younger sister… Neither of 'em made the night."

He turned away from the vanity and looked out the window. The rain continued to pound relentlessly against the windowpane.

"Me pap died in a carriage accident a few years later…" he continued, "It was during one of the hurricanes yeh see, an' his horse got scared an' led them off a cliff."

Rebecca could tell now by the strain in John's voice that this was a hard story for him to retell without becoming emotional. She quietly stepped beside the young man, looking out the window.

John let out a long sigh, composing himself as he cleared his throat. "Then Granny an' Grandpa Jacob raised me an' me brother…" He paused. "They're the last Silvers that I know of."

Rebecca silently wrapped her hand around John's, still watching the window. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

John looked down at the young woman who looked back up at him.

"I don't know what it's like to lose someone that close to me." Rebecca admitted with a shrug.

John gave Rebecca a half-smile, "I hope yeh never 'ave teh know what it's like, Rebecca…" he said softly, "'cause it's hard…"

The young man gently slipped out of Rebecca's grasp and walked towards the door.

John cleared his throat. "If there's anythin' yeh need, Rebecca, my room's beside this one –teh yer right- an' Granny's is at the end of the hall on the left." John smiled weakly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Rebecca silently stared at the spot where John had been as she collected her thoughts. He had had a much harder life than she had expected. She inhaled slowly and grabbed her travel bag, and began readying herself for bed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to Whisperwings for betaing and thanks for all of your support (it's awesome)!

**MG#6**


	19. Counting Zeferetti

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… it took me a while to think up this chapter, but I'm glad I have it now!

* * *

Rebecca was finding getting to sleep difficult as she tossed and turned in the bed. Though it was the first stationary bed she had slept in for weeks, the hammering rain against the windowpane made falling asleep nearly impossible.

The young woman stared at the top of the canopy bed, trying to count flocks of Zeferetti in her mind, but it was useless… There was no way in the Etherium that Miss Rebecca Jane Clarke was going to get to sleep.

Rebecca rose from the bed and wrapped herself in the warm housecoat that she had packed. It was a light green colour and covered her silky nightdress well. Rebecca chuckled to herself, thinking back when her mother had first seen her in the knee-length nightdress while she was readying herself for bed. The older woman had nearly had a heart attack. The look on her mother's face had been priceless, and Rebecca remembered laughing long and hard after trying to calm her down.

The thought of her mother brought tears to her eyes, which Rebecca quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. The moment she wiped away the tears, more spilled out of her eyes until she stopped trying to suppress them and let them flow.

Rebecca sat down on the bed and sobbed quietly in her hands. She hadn't realized how much she missed her mother until now, and the rest of her family, her beloved home planet, and a simple lifestyle… The tears kept coming, as did the sobs, stopping only when Rebecca heard a faint tapping on the door.

She quickly wiped her eyes. "Come in…" She called gently.

The door opened and a figure silently slipped into the darkened room, closing the door behind them. The dark shadow walked to the side of the canopy bed and sat down beside Rebecca.

"What's wrong, Rebecca?" John's soft and caring voice asked the young woman.

"You heard me?" Rebecca asked, slightly surprised.

"My room is right beside this one." John stated, he reached through the darkness and gently took Rebecca's hands into his own. "Yeh can talk teh me."

Rebecca leaned against John's arm, noticing that he had taken off his leather overcoat and was just wearing a loose shirt. Having John's big, warm hands around her own gave her comfort and utmost trust in the young man.

She sighed. "I miss home…" Rebecca instinctively nuzzled against John's arm. She was slightly surprised by her boldness, but now the need to feel the warmth and closeness of another person was overriding her upbringing, "…and I miss my mother." She sighed, "I know that it's childish, but that's truly what's wrong."

"I see…" John whispered softly.

Rebecca thought for a moment. "But I'm not going to stop my voyage because of a little homesickness…" She stated, wiping her eyes. "I'll keep going on." She nodded.

Though it was too dark to see his face, Rebecca had a feeling that John was smiling. "I'm happy teh hear that, Rebecca… yeh stick teh it."

"Exactly." Rebecca smiled to herself. "I can't give up now," she stated. "We've hardly begun." Rebecca then looked up at the young man, "John?"

"Aye?"

"Can you stay with me until I get to sleep?" She asked. "I don't know why, but I just can't get to sleep tonight."

"Sure thing, Rebecca, I'll stay as long as it takes…" John promised.

"Thank you, John." Rebecca gave John's arm a warm hug before scooting to the other end of the bed.

John chuckled as he rose from the bed and sat in the plush armchair at the bed's side.

Rebecca wiggled back under the covers of her bed, pulling them over her, and she leaned back against the pillow. Before she knew it, she was sleeping soundly in the canopy bed.

* * *

Morning came, bringing with it a gentle light in the cloudy sky. Rebecca blinked awake and looked at the armchair beside her bed. She half-expected it to be vacant, but was surprised when she saw John peacefully sleeping in the comfortable chair, his head resting against the palm of his hand.

The young woman smiled softly, silently slipping out of the bed and tiptoeing past the slumbering sailor.

The room was filled with the blank light of the morning sun coming from the tall windows and the unending rain tapped gently against the glass of the windowpane.

Rebecca grabbed some of her effects and gathered together her clothing for the day. As she was searching through her clothing, Rebecca located the dark red skirt, which she hadn't worn since Adrian Marx's attempted rape on the Siren's Sonnet.

The jacket still had holes in it where the feline had ripped apart the fabric, and a few of the buttons were missing from it. Rebecca loosely held the clothing in her hands, debating whether to just throw it away entirely.

* * *

John woke up, having a crick in the back of his neck from sleeping in the armchair, and he looked around the room.

A few feet to John's right was Rebecca, sitting with her things. She was wrapped in her housecoat. Her raven-black hair was let loose, falling a little past her shoulders. Rebecca was turned away from John and was looking over a red jacket in her hands.

John's face fell as he spotted the holes in the jacket, knowing that it was the garment Rebecca hadn't worn since the insult of a felid had tried to rape her.

The young man rose from the chair and walked beside Rebecca. The young woman looked up at him and sighed.

"I should've told you how I felt that day…" She said gently.

John knelt beside Rebecca and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yeh don't 'ave teh tell me anythin' that yeh don't want teh, Rebecca." He stated.

Rebecca sighed once more. "I should have though…" She stated. "You're the greatest friend that I've ever had, and a good man. You deserve to know the truth."

John was silent, both listening to what Rebecca had to say and stunned by what she had said. Did a woman of Rebecca's stature truly consider him, a commoner at best, to be a trustworthy friend?

Rebecca turned so she was facing John and looked up into his caring coal-black eyes. "I was completely terrified… like any one in that situation should be…" She paused to gather together her thoughts. "I didn't know what to do other than to scream and try to get away…" She wrapped her arms around herself. "But that wasn't enough."

At this point Rebecca looked away from John, back at the torn red jacket.

"I shudder to think what would've happened if Simon hadn't stopped Adrian…" The young woman stated emptily, a single tear falling from her right eye.

John cupped Rebecca's chin and turned her to face him. He looked deeply into her eyes and gently wiped the tear track from her cheek.

"Don't let the past weight yeh down, lass…" John stated.

Rebecca felt a wan smile appear on her lips; she enjoyed hearing John's occasional nickname for her, and she listened to what the young man had to say.

"Sure things in the past are tough… an' some things hurt a lot." John continued. "But if yeh learn from the past, an' get stronger from what's happened teh yeh, an' yeh live for each day… well…" He paused and a broad smile formed on his face. "Life's worth living."

This time John's smile evoked a smile on Rebecca's face and she nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, John." Rebecca looked at the torn garment in her hands and she cleared her throat. "Well… I guess I'm going to have to sew this back together later then." She carefully folded the jacket, placed it back into her bag and smiled up at John.

John chuckled gently and rose to his feet, his hand leaving Rebecca's shoulder. He began walking towards the door and smiled at Rebecca over his shoulder. "I'd imagine that yeh'd want teh get dressed now, Rebecca." The warm smile turned into a smug smirk. "I think yeh might be a little _chilly_ in those nightclothes of yers." He then exited the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Rebecca's cheeks flared to a bright crimson red as she quickly tightened her housecoat around herself. She had forgotten that she was still in her less-than-modest nightclothes, and that only her housecoat was covering them. She quickly riffled through her bag to find something a little more _weather appropriate_.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, I afraid we'll be getting off of Romano all too soon, but look on the bright side… many more adventures lie ahead!

Thanks once again to Whisperwings for betaing and to you readers for keeping up the amazing support.

**MG#6**


	20. Getting Off Romano

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the long wait, my procrastination for schoolwork is finally catching up to me… and writer's block is a meaner.

* * *

Once Rebecca had dressed herself appropriately for the day, Ethel Silver had treated everyone to a hearty breakfast.

Afterwards, John and Jim lead the travellers out to a hanger close to the Silver's residence. It was here that the Silver's heirloom ship was kept when not in use.

A string of curse words greeted the travellers as they entered the hanger.

"Tommy?" Jim enquired, hurrying towards the source of the foul language.

"Jimbo, 's that you?" A grunting voice called from somewhere in the darkened hanger. "This bloody son-of-a-space-whale 's not firin' up like she should…"

"Why were you going to fire her up any way?" Jim asked, searching the hanger for his friend.

A large pig man hopped down from the darkness of the hanger, his clothe apron covered with grease stains and his facial expression nonchalant.

"Was just gonna see if she's shipshape, that's all…" The pig man grunted.

John cleared his throat, drawing the pig man and Jim's attention back to the group of travellers.

"Johnny-Boy!" The pig man greeted friendlily, clapping John on the shoulder. "Haven't seen you in what… 'alf a year 's it?" He looked over John with his beady-black eyes.

"How's life been treating yeh, Tom?" John asked.

Tom shrugged. "Same old, same old…" He looked past John's shoulder at the large group of travellers. "Are we back in business, or are you just showing around your friends?"

"Both." John stated. "Know the planet Emery?"

The pig man snorted. "Who doesn't know Emery? Nobility 'round every corner and it's got to be one of the richest planets in the galaxy, if not the entire Etherium!"

John rolled his coal-black eyes at his friend's exaggeration. "Well that's where we're going, an' most of this group is gonna serve as our crew." He gestured to the group.

"I see…" Tom looked over each of the travellers. He nodded. "Well… Name's Biggs, Thomas Biggs…" The pig man introduced himself. He turned back to John. "We're not gonna git too far on this old clunker…" He nodded to the heirloom ship above them. "She's been acting up all week…" He polished his small grabby hands on a soiled handkerchief.

"If I may interject, Mister Biggs…" Jarred said suddenly, "I'm familiar with the mechanisms in ships… I could provide some assistance…"

Thomas looked over the young Shikaran and snorted. "I suppose so…" He nodded towards the suspended ship. "You'll at least be small enough to fit into the machines…" Jarred made a bit of a nervous noise in the back of his throat at the pig-man's comment, but said nothing.

Close by, Jim lowered a lever and the ship responded accordingly, descending from the ceiling of the hanger so it was bathed in the filtered glow of the rainy morning.

* * *

The HMS Aurora sank down to eye-level. The mechanisms controlled by the lever that Jim had pulled were cranking a series of chains to lower the ship while a line of massive ropes held the ship suspended over the ground.

A small coat-of-arms was painted near the bow of the ship on both sides. A wooden angel in billowing robes was carved at the bow of the ship, holding a dove to the skies.

"Well, if this is _'an old clunker'_ I wonder what a nice ship would be…" Juanita chuckled.

The pig man scoffed. "It may be a gem on the outside, but its inner mechanisms are as outta date as me grandma." Tom stated. He and Jarred then climbed up into the ship.

"How long will it take teh get 'er travel-ready, Tommy?" John asked.

Tom's footsteps echoed through the ship as the aforementioned pig-man walked through the lower decks. His head popped out of a porthole in the starboard side of the ship.

"It should take 'bout a week teh git the ship travel-ready…" Tom stated lazily. "Yeh git the supplies ready Johnny-Boy, an' I'll git 'er ready sooner."

John nodded. "Well I suggest yeh get started, Tommy."

Tommy chuckled. "That's what I like teh 'ear, Johnny-Boy."

* * *

Over the next few days, Rebecca and her escort were arranging supplies and preparing the ship for the coming voyage.

It was during these days that Rebecca began her learning of the sailing ways, hoping to be more of a contributing person on the vessel rather than a passenger. John seemed grateful for this; the more help he had, the better.

Ethel was brimming with happiness at the company's longer stay. She was often seen preparing delicious dishes in her kitchen while everyone was working on the _Aurora_, whistling or humming a sea shanty as she worked.

Despite the constant rain, everyone noted that it seemed to be getting brighter out. Some people wondered if the rare days of sunshine were coming soon. But on the day of the _HMS Aurora_'s launch, no day of halted rain had come, and the travellers had to be on their way.

"Now take care of each other boys an' I'll keep me eyes peeled for yeh." Ethel bide her grandsons farewell as they prepared to launch their ship.

"Don't worry 'bout us Granny, you just keep the house in one piece and we'll be back before you know it." Jim reassured Ethel as he climbed aboard the ship.

"Oh an' Johnny?" Ethel murmured more quietly. "Keep an' eye on Jimbo would yeh? He's still got a mischief streak a mile long, he has..."

John beamed at his grandmother and swept her into a goodbye hug. "Don't yeh fret Granny, he's safe under me watchful eye."

"An' take care of that girl of yers!" Ethel added with a wink.

John groaned. "She's not me girl, Granny... she's a lady for goodness sakes."

Ethel just laughed, shaking her head and she waved goodbye to the travellers.

* * *

"All right then ladies and gents, onward!" Jim shouted as John stepped onto the main deck of the HMS Aurora.

John stepped in front of his younger brother. "Now see 'ere Jimbo, I'm captain, an' yer me first mate... so I'll be givin' the orders, if yeh don't mind."

Jim smirked. "All righty _Captain Silver_, what are your orders?"

John rolled his eyes. "Let's get goin' already." He climbed up to the helm of the ship where Henry was at the wheel.

"Right-o..." Jim began giving his orders to the small crew of friends that he had brought along as more experienced sailors for their voyage.

Rebecca stood at the bow of the ship, watching as it rose out of the hanger. She wondered inwardly how they were going to launch the ship, as it was already held down by the gravitational pull of the planet rather than being out in space like the ships in the spaceports.

Her answer came soon. "All sailors fasten your lifelines! We're launching then activating artificial gravity, so it's going to be a bit bumpy!"

Rebecca fastened herself to the railing just off of the bow and looked out at the entrance of the hanger. She gripped the wooden railing and smiled warmly as John's booming voice shouted,

"Fire Away!"

And with that, a new voyage had begun, as the HMS Aurora launched through the clouds of Romano and out into the Etherium.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks so much to Whisperwings for betaing this chapter!

**MG#6**


	21. A Mischief Streak a Mile Long

**Author's Note:**

Let us hope that I won't take that long to update… well, we can hope, right?

* * *

Rebecca stood out by the bow of the ship while the Etherium when through another night cycle as the _Aurora_ shifted through the star systems. Tommy, the head chef for the voyage, had just finished serving dinner and most of the crew had turned in, to benefit from the temporary spell of darkness. She stared out at the many stars, occasionally looking back to the pages of her pocketbook where the black ink was only just drying.

"What'cha got there, Rebecca?" Jim suddenly landed beside Rebecca.

The raven-haired woman didn't even look up from her written words, having gotten used to Jim's mischievous nature over the past month that they had been sailing for Emery. "A journal." She stated bluntly.

"Oh, a secret diary, then?" Jim smirked, leaning against the railing and trying to meet Rebecca's eyes.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow at Jim, "No…" she shut the pocketbook; "it is simply a documentation of my voyages, James."

Jim groaned, disliking how Rebecca would call him by his birth name. He then smirked slyly as an idea formulated in his mind. "You're certain that there's nothing the least bit _secretive_ in this 'journal' of yours?"

"No…" Rebecca tucked her pen into the side pocket of the journal.

Jim inched his way closer to Rebecca, "Nothing, at all _secretive_ about me… or about Johnny-Boy, for the matter."

"No, of course, not." Rebecca began edging away from the first mate, sensing that he had some plot in his mind.

"Well then… let's have a look-see!" Jim swiftly snatched the journal from the unsuspecting Rebecca. He then leapt over the railing of the bow, landing in the netting that extended to the tip of the bowsprit, and scurried away.

"James Silver, you come back here!" Rebecca hollered to the evasive first mate.

"But you said that there was nothing secretive in here." Jim stated, threatening to open the pocketbook.

"That's my property, so give it back, Jim!" Rebecca held out a hand, demanding for the return of her pocketbook.

The first mate paused in his opening of the journal, completely taken off guard. He glanced up at Rebecca, "You… you called me 'Jim'…"

Rebecca simply stood at the bow of the _Aurora_ her hand still extended.

"Now Jimbo…" a voice spoke from above the first mate, causing him to look up, "Do yeh not know teh keep yer hands teh yer own possessions?"

John gradually skimmed down a rope until he was between Rebecca and his brother.

"I suggested yeh get yourself teh the helm, Jimbo…" John smirked. "Ship's not gonna steer itself, after all."

Jim groaned, handing the journal back to his older brother and making his way to the helm of the ship.

* * *

John looked over the cover of the pocketbook briefly before handing it back to Rebecca.

"Thanks, John…" Rebecca stated gratefully.

John shrugged. "Didn't imagine that Jimbo would try teh pull his monkeyshine on yeh, lass… but apparently the lad knows no bounds when it comes teh his mischief streak."

Rebecca smiled softly. "Partners in crime, right?"

John smiled back, "In the old days we were…"

The two young adults looked at each other, still smiling. John was the first to come to terms of how close there faces were and he cleared his throat.

"Well I'd best be getting our coordinates set up…" He turned from the railing.

"John?" Rebecca looked at the young man.

"Yes, Rebecca?" John faced the black-haired woman.

"Thank you," she smiled, "for doing this… it's very good of you." Rebecca set her hand down on John's arm and smiled warmly to him.

Suddenly the ship tilted, causing Rebecca to stumble against the railing of the ship. John moved to catch the falling lady. As John encircled his arm around her waist, Rebecca stumbled forwards, forcing their lips to unexpectedly meet with each other.

* * *

The young adults broke away as quickly as they had been forced together and looked at the helm of the ship. Jim was innocently whistling, as if he hadn't been the cause.

"Mischief streak is right." Rebecca turned away from John, so he wouldn't see her blush.

John scoffed, shaking his head. "Can't believe it…"

The ship shook once more and the two young adults held onto the bow's railing to avoid stumbling.

"All right, Jimbo, enough is enough!" John shouted to his brother.

"It wasn't me!" Jim shouted back, pointing past them. "Asteroids off the port bow, and coming in fast!"

John and Rebecca followed Jim's gaze and saw a series of fiery rocks hurtling towards the _HMS Aurora_.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Many thank yous go out to Whisperwings for betaing this chapter and to you readers for your amazing patience!

**MG#6**


	22. Shikari

**Author's Note:**

Now who ordered one intense action sequence? That'd be me!

* * *

"Mary, mother of God…" John cursed under his breath. The young man quickly leapt over the railing onto the main deck. "Jimbo, get us outta the path of those meteors, an' quick!"

"Aye, Aye!" Jim struggled against the tension on the wheel as the ship banked out of the way of the dangerous meteors.

The largest of the asteroids nearly missed the tip of the bowsprit as the group of asteroids hurtled past the starboard side of the _Aurora_.

"All hands teh stations!" John called out to his crew that was below deck. "All able bodies teh the main deck!"

The crew hurried out from below deck, taking their stations and waiting for orders from one of their commanders.

Rebecca rushed up to the helm of the ship, keeping herself out of the way of the crew on the main deck. She looked at the control panel below her and began to recognize some of the mathematical readings from her private school education.

"**Huge** asteroid off the port bow!" Juanita called from her position in the crow's nest.

Everyone looked up, seeing that Juanita's words were poorly chosen. The asteroid coming within collision of the ship wasn't huge… it was enormous!

"The ship's not banking!" Jim called out as he tried all of his strength against the wheel, "we're gonna crash!"

Rebecca looked at the screens of the control panel and then back at the colossal asteroid. She turned to Jim, "Drop the starboard kedge anchor!" She shouted.

"What? But then we'll-" Jim quickly caught on and then shouted, "Kedge the starboard anchor!"

"Aye! Aye!"

The anchor off the starboard bow was dropped into the Etherium, where it snagged onto one of the larger asteroids. The _HMS Aurora_ groaned from the sudden tension. Jim released his hold on the wheel, allowing it to spin freely. The ship then banked out of the path of the rocky threat.

The stern of the ship cracked against the side of the asteroid, jarring those on deck, until finally the ship floated away from the asteroid.

Rebecca let out a long sigh of relief, releasing her iron hold of the control panel as plopped down on the ground. "I think that's enough adventure for one day, personally…" She groaned, leaning against the control panel.

Jim chuckled knowingly, but his smile disappeared when he looked at the control panel. The screens were flashing a deadly red, which was no good sign.

"Oh no." Jim hurried to the control panel and scanned the ships status. He sighed when he located the problem. "This has got to be a mistake!" He smashed his fist angrily against the control panel.

"What is it?" Rebecca enquired, looking up at the first mate.

Jim hurried to the far end of the helm and looked over the railing at the stern of the ship. "Bloody Mary!" He cursed and then sighed. "Johnny's not gonna like this…"

Rebecca hurried to the stern and looked over it, seeing substantial damage done to the lower thrusters of the ship. "Oh dear…" She murmured under her breath. She looked out into the Etherium, watching the colossal asteroid float away and then back at the agitated James Silver.

Jim pushed his hands through his dark brown hair, sighed and then hurried to the railing of the aft. "Captain!" He called out to his older brother.

John turned and looked up at Jim. "What is it?"

"Our thrusters are damaged." Jim explained. "We're gonna have to land somewhere before they fall off the ship."

"Perhaps if I had a quick look at them?" Jarred offered.

"They're beyond repair at this point, Jarred…" Jim stated. "We're gonna need some new parts."

John sighed and then looked to his navigator. "Where's the nearest planet?"

"Not an hour's sailing, captain…" Henry explained, looking through his pocket telescope. "It's the planet Shikari."

Jarred and Juanita simultaneously stifled whimpers at the mention of the planet. Martin looked over the blue-skinned aliens.

"Isn't Shikari your home planet?" The squirrel humanoid enquired.

"Used to be…" Juanita and Jarred stated.

Rebecca paused, looking over the two Shikarans. "Wait a moment… who do you mean, _'used to be'_?" She looked at Juanita then Jarred.

Jarred sighed. "I suppose you should explain it this time, Juan…" He looked at the main deck.

Juanita nodded and then sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Jarred and I are both exiles from Shikari." She stated, "We were commanded to never return to our home, or we'd be killed on the spot."

"Why?" Jim asked. "And by whom?"

"For defying the principles." Jarred intervened. He stuffed his hands into his trousers' pockets and sighed. "Shikari is ruled by a religious power… so those who go against the principles of the religion, are considered to be outsiders… and traitors."

"The planet is governed by a system of specific needs," Juanita added, "you're assigned to a particular job, you're to marry at a certain age to a certain _set_ of people…"

"The list goes on…" Jarred stated.

Juanita looked at her companions; "I declined every arranged marriage until I was considered _too old_ for my _class_ of person, to wed." She sighed, "That's why I'm considered a traitor…"

"And traitors are killed on the spot." Jarred pointed out.

"What exactly did you do that marked you as a traitor, 'Red?" Jim asked.

Jarred sighed. "I helped Juanita escape execution." He stated.

There was a pause and then John spoke. "Well I'm afraid that this ship is in dire need of parts… so we're gonna dock at the nearest planet in the galaxy, which is Shikari."

"But we can't be seen!" Juanita hollered.

"Then yeh won't be seen!" John retorted. "Yeh 'ave me word…"

* * *

"There's no way in the Etherium that we'll be able to pull this off…" Jarred complained. He had been outfitted in heavy desert robes -similar to those worn by the locals of Los Terrano- as a means of disguising his self. Juanita had been given one of Rebecca's dresses and had both a wide brimmed hat and a black lace veil concealing her identity.

"Stop bellyaching an' yeh won't draw attention teh yourselves…" John stated sternly. He, Scroop, Rebecca and the two disguised Shikarans had gone to find a shop with ship parts in stock while the rest of the crew remained in port with the Aurora, getting it checked by the local customs officers.

"Let's try in here…" Rebecca pointed to a rustic shop on the corner of the street. The sign read, _Mr. Oliver's Ship Parts and Repairs_.

Silver nodded curtly, pushing the door opened to the shop and entering. Rebecca and Scroop entered after the young man, followed by Juanita.

"There's no way that this is going to work…" Jarred murmured under his breath; entering the shop after his companions.

* * *

"Oliver's Parts and Repairs, how can I help you?" the Shikaran at the front desk introduced without looking up from his work on a small engine. He had short silver hair that was spiked up as if from an electrical shock and he wore a dark boiler room suit with a pair of tinted welding goggles strapped to his forehead.

"We're in need of ship parts…" John began, "two core crystals for some small-scale stern thrusters and about a yard of wiring."

The man gave a descending whistle. "Core crystals cost a pretty penny, good sir…" he looked up at John with his bright green eyes and smiled genuinely, "but I should be able to find some in stock." He lifted his self up from behind his desk and walked into the back room of the shop.

John glanced at Rebecca, who was busy looking over a row of peculiar-looking astrolabes. A feeling stirred inside of him as he forced himself to looked away.

_'She's a lady yeh dunderhead…' _John mentally scolded his self. _'She wouldn't want anything teh do with yeh, an' yeh are lucky enough that she considers yeh teh be her friend…'_ He eased his fingers through his hair.

"Here they are..." the Shikaran presented two fist-sized core crystals and a yard of coiled wire.

John paid for the ship parts with the money that Rebecca had given to him –no matter how much he declined- to pay for the parts. He then pocketed the items.

The Shikaran pulled out an inventory list, crossed off the purchased items and then looked back at John. "Now, will you be installing these on your own, sir, or can I offer some local mechanics that will be able to install the products for a nominal charge?" He asked.

"That won't be necessary." John stated. "We've got ourselves mechanic on board, but thank yeh for offering."

The goggle-wearing Shikaran nodded curtly and smiled. "Enjoy your voyage, sir."

John, Scroop, Jarred, Rebecca and Juanita then exited the shop and decided to lay low in the port town until the security check of their ship had been completed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Nothing like a new planet to spice up the story!

**MG#6**


	23. The Theta Nebula

**Author's Note:**

Thank you, Whisperwings, for betaing!

Once the security check over the HMS Aurora had been completed, most of the crew decided to spend the night in port. John decided that the ship's repairs could wait until the following day to allow his crew some rest.

John was soon wandering the main deck, looking out into the Etherium. The Theta Nebula, a wonder in the night sky anywhere in the Etherium, glimmered gently. This was as close to the cloud of space matter John had ever been during his travels as a sailor. The cloud shimmered as it gave birth to new celestial beings.

"How close do you reckon we can get to the Theta Nebula?" Rebecca enquired sporadically, standing beside the young man.

John glanced at the young woman standing next to him quizzically. "Yeh actually want teh get near that thing?" He asked.

"Yes." Rebecca smiled challengingly up to the young man. "And I have a feeling that you want the same thing, Mister Silver."

John raised his eyebrows to this new, playful side of Rebecca that he'd never encountered before. It wasn't to his dislike… it was just _different_. He smirked down at Rebecca. "Yeh could get in teh _trouble_ from all of that mind-reading of yers, Miss Clarke…"

Rebecca simply kept her smile and then looked longingly up at the nebula. "Well?"

"I must be barking mad…" John chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's do it." He gave her a broad smile, his coal-black eyes twinkling.

* * *

"Do you know how to drive one of these vehicles, John?" Rebecca stepped into the longboat as John opened the lower hatch of the ship.

"Why Rebecca," John walked over the front of the longboat. "I've been sailing since I was a young lad." He stepped into the longboat.

"So you do know how to commandeer one of these…?" Rebecca glanced at John.

"Not the least." John smiled broadly, lowering the longboat until it hit the open Etherium and merely hovered in the antigravity.

Rebecca chuckled. "You're going to get us killed, John."

"I'll try not teh, lass…" John smiled, nudging Rebecca gently. He unfurled the longboat's solar sail and then sat down next to the black-haired woman.

The engine began to charge up as John steered the longboat through the port town's solar winds. Once the solar sail was bright amber in colour he looked to Rebecca.

"Hold on tight." He warned.

Rebecca nodded, bracing one hand against the side of the longboat and giving John a warm smile as she tried to prepare herself. John looked forwards, grasped the throttle and fired the longboat's engine. Rebecca let out an unintentional squeal at the longboat rocket forwards through the Etherium. She curled her arm around John's free arm and held on as if for her dear life. John stifled a chuckle and looked ahead, gasping in wonder.

The Theta Nebula was a shimmering mass of multi-hued matter. Within the enormous cloud of space matter, flares of bright light would fire up, as a comet would come streaking out of the innards of the nebula and pass by the two young adults.

"It's… amazing…" Rebecca gasped, releasing her hold on John's arm to crawl to the bow of the longboat. She extended her hand and waved it through the mist-like material making up the cloud. She giggled slightly at the sensation and sighed, looking out at the mass of colours. "Just amazing…"

A pair of bright white comets came streaking past the starboard side of the longboat, their frigid trails leaving frost upon the planks of wood.

Rebecca sat down beside John, as she kept her eyes glued to the visual spectacle. "Look at all of those wishes…" She murmured under her breath, watching more comets fly by the longboat.

John looked down at Rebecca. The bright streaks of light caused her pale green eyes to glimmer like polished jade and the expression of awe stirred something within him.

"Rebecca…" John started.

"Hmm?" Rebecca looked at the young man.

"I –uh- just wanted teh thank yeh…" John rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeh pulled quite a feat when we were goin' through that meteor shower… yeh saved us yeh know…"

"I didn't save us…" Rebecca blushed lightly. "I just… well… I just prevented the ship from hitting that large asteroid."

"Which would've totalled the ship an' killed us all…" John cut in with a warm smile, "so yeh saved us, Rebecca…"

"I- well…" Rebecca simply looked out at the shrieking comets. "You're welcome, then…" She smiled faintly.

After a few moments of looking out at the dancing colours, Rebecca sighed gently.

"I wish I could stay out here forever…" Rebecca closed her eyes and leaned against John's free arm. She sighed as exhaustion began to overcome her.

John wrapped his free arm around Rebecca's waist and pulled her closer, so the young woman's head was resting just in the crook of his neck. He looked up out into the Etherium and sighed gently. "Me too, Rebecca…" He murmured softly. "Me too…"

* * *

The next day, the majority of the crew enjoyed a free day in port while Jarred and Jim made the appropriate repairs to the ship. The young mechanics assumed that the ship would be fully functional by the following day.

The entire day had been allotted to restocking the ship's provisions and making sure that the repairs would be doing more good than bad. Both Juanita and Jarred insisted on remaining under the security of the ship's hold while everyone else ventured through the port town.

Eventually, the day began to come to a close, leaving only a few of the crewmembers on board the HMS Aurora.

* * *

_He seems like a polite young man, and despite how brash and barbaric sailors tend to be, he's different._

Rebecca flickered through her pocketbook. _'He's different, he's different, he's different… it's all the same, and yet…so very true…'_

She looked up from the pages of her book at the young man in question. He was calmly coordinating the mechanical repairs for the ship while analyzing the route to Emery with Henry. The warm, kind smile never left his face as he instructed to his crewmembers what it was that had to be done.

_'A gentleman among commoners…'_ Rebecca smiled faintly. She blinked and sighed to her self. _'But a commoner nonetheless… I should stop these growing feelings of affection for him. If I stop considering him as a friend and as something more…'_ Rebecca shook her head at the thought. _'I could never.'_ Her gaze returned to the young man at the helm of the ship. _'Then… what are these feelings, exactly?'_

Rebecca clasped her pocketbook against her chest and forced her self to look away. She chewed on her bottom lip and pondered about the situation she was in.

'He is a good friend after all… handsome… kind…and he cares about others…'

Rebecca's eyes widened as the pocketbook slipped from her fingers and hit the deck with a soft thud.

"I feel for him as more than a friend!" She murmured to her self.

Her pale green eyes watered at this revelation as she turned from the railing of the ship and bolted to her quarters, leaving the pocketbook at the bow of the ship.

* * *

John quickly checked up on his younger brother and Jarred's progress with the ships' repairs while Tommy decided to start up the crew's dinner.

The young man turned from his work, spotting Rebecca hurrying to the lower deck. He could tell by the troubled look on her face that she was likely upset about something.

John made his way towards the lower decks when he noticed something on the deck at the bow of the ship. He walked over to the bow and plucked a small pocketbook from the deck. It had landed opened on a page, folded over. As John smoothed out the crease in the page, he couldn't help but read what was written on the page.

_What have I done? Of all of the things I've ever done in my life this… kiss… it's completely random._

John skimmed the page until his eyes caught the last phrase written upon it.

_But this kiss… no… it was completely sporadic. I hardly know John, know nothing of his past or background, and he's a sailor for crying out loud._

John's heart sank as he closed the pocketbook, no longer wishing to dabble in its contents. _'So this is what she thinks of me…' _He looked bitterly at the Etherium. _'I'm… just another sailor teh her…'_ He stuffed the journal into one of the deep pockets of his jacket as he tried to keep himself composed. _'I'm just another of those…disgusting bilge rats…'_ He smashed his fist against the railing of the ship as his calm evaporated.

_'How could I 'ave been so stupid teh fall for her? She tricked me…'_

His jaw set as he kept from showing his despair. The kindness and warmth, which he had only felt moments ago was replaced by bitterness and an uncharacteristic coldness.

John turned on his heel and hurried to the helm of the ship. "Jarred!" He ordered to the young Shikaran. "Get the repairs done for tonight!" He then turned to his younger brother. "Jimbo, tell the crew that they're teh be on the Aurora by morning, tomorrow, that's when we're leaving." He stated.

"But…" Jim began.

"No buts!" John shouted. "We're leaving Shikari tomorrow, whether the crew likes it or not!" He turned away and stomped towards his quarters. _'The sooner we're off teh Emery, the sooner she can be outta me life…'_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I think I'll keep the trip to Shikari short… after all Emery's the goal in mind.

**MG#6**


	24. A Faint Voice In the Air

**Author's Note:**

(Descending Whistle) Talk about a flip-flop relationship-wise … now for something a little _different_…

* * *

Scroop had been noticing a faint voice on the air all day, calling out to him. It had taken the young arachnid until nightfall to finally locate the source of the faint calling. It was coming from a small thatched hut on the outskirts of the port town where the land became a vast marsh.

The hut was propped up on wooden polls and a ramp led to the curtained entrance of the hut. Scroop glanced around apprehensively, ensuring that the coast was clear, before he proceeded to the entrance.

_"Enter…"_ A voice within whispered before he could make his presence known.

A shiver of fear ran up Scroop's spine, but the young arachnid shook it off and entered the hut. The hut was made up of a single room decorated with vibrant carpets and many glimmering ornaments. The room was lit up by hundreds of candles, in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Scroop was immediately attracted to a bright white light emitting from a crystal ball in the centre of a table in the room. He stepped close to it and gazed into its depths, feeling as if he was in a similar realm as the one he kept seeing in his dreams. The pale mist swirled around in the crystal ball, creating strange shadowy forms in his mind's eye.

_"You are of unique interest, young Scroop."_ The whispery voice spoke to Scroop.

Scroop looked up and for the first time noticed that there was another person in the room with him. It took him a moment to adjust his eyes from gazing into the crystal ball to the dim candle lit room.

He then spotted an aged Shikaran sitting on a pile of colourful cushions across the table from him. She wore a set of heavy colourful robes that were worn from age and her deep navy-blue hair was done up in dreadlocks.

"Who are you?" Scroop found himself asking.

_"I'm a seer…I see visions of the future…"_ The Shikaran spoke gently. _"Much like you, young Scroop…"_

Scroop looked oddly at the seer. "I… I can't see the future…" he paused and then looked up, his golden eyes wide. "Can I?"

The seer slowly nodded her head. _"You have a gift, Scroop…"_ She stated.

"Then why did you call me here?" Scroop demanded.

_"Only to give you a warning…"_ The seer began. _"And that is this: Though you may be able to see into the future, not all of these visions are of the future that will come to be… some are of a future of what could be."_

"What?" Scroop looked at the seer quizzically.

_"You will soon understand…"_ The seer smiled knowingly. _"Now open your eyes, young Scroop, you are wanted elsewhere."_

"Huh?" Scroop looked around him, noticing that the pale mist had spread from the crystal ball and was beginning to engulf the world around him. He looked up into the seer's blank white eyes and woke up.

"A dream…" Scroop murmured to himself quietly. "But… which part was the dream?"

* * *

It was morning. Rebecca had spent nearly the entire night debating with her self of what was to be done over her ordeal.

"I'll tell him… that's just it." Rebecca resolved, pacing the length of her room. "I'll tell him how I feel, and perhaps everything will turn out well." She smiled slightly to herself as she made her way to the door.

Before her hand could graze the doorknob, Rebecca stopped and sighed, her smile disappearing from her face.

"Now, how exactly am I going to word this…?" She pondered aloud, tapping a finger against her chin. "Am I going to simply tell him upfront that I am harbouring strong feelings towards him or am I going to use a casual conversation as leeway until I'm able to eloquently express my feelings?" The young woman sighed once more. "I suppose I'll decide that once I actually have faced him." She smoothed out the front of her dress and pushed some of her bangs off of her face.

Rebecca then reached forwards and opened the door, unexpectedly seeing the face of the man she wished to speak with; though it was evident by his stormy expression that he didn't want to speak with anyone.

"John?" She looked at him. "Can I speak with you a moment?"

"Oh who, me?" John asked bitterly. "Why shouldn't I be _gracious_ teh be in the mere presence of a lady, much less than being able teh speak with her?"

Rebecca was taken aback by John's uncharacteristic coldness. She cleared her throat. "I wanted to discuss our relationship, if possible." She stated.

"Yeh don't need teh discuss anything, Rebecca," John snapped, "I know exactly how yeh think of me…"

Rebecca paused, wondering inwardly if she had been debating with her self _that_ loudly the previous night. "What do you mean?"

"Like yeh said: I'm a sailor, _for crying out loud_." John narrowed his coal-black eyes at her; they were no longer gentle and full of warmth but full of coldness and anger.

Rebecca realized from where John had recited her thoughts. "You read my journal…"

"I did, an' it's a good thing too…" John stated. "Didn't want teh get any deeper in this relationship now that I know the truth." His eyes flared with anger. "Didn't want teh go _falling_ for yeh, an' then realize that yeh only think of me as another sailor. A commoner."

Rebecca was speechless as she tried to think of what to say next.

"Now if yeh will pardon me, Lady Clarke," John started once more, "I've got a ship teh sail for yeh, so that yeh can get teh yer high-classed life on Emery, an' so that I can go back teh me backwash home!" He stormed off down the corridor towards the entrance to the upper decks.

Rebecca found her voice once again. "You know, if you had even bothered to read more of my journal, you'd probably be choosing your words differently, John Silver!" Rebecca called down the hallway to the angered young man.

The black-haired woman slammed the door behind her, tears swimming in her pale green eyes. Her heart sank with her until she was sitting on the floor of her room. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sobbed into her lap.

* * *

"You know guys… I'm kind of getting worried about Rebecca…" Juanita sat at a table in the HMS Aurora's mess hall with Jim, Martin and Jarred.

"I too share your concern, Juanita…" Martin looked gravely at the other sailors. "Miss Rebecca hasn't left her quarters all week and has been allowing only Scroop into her quarters in order for him to serve her meals."

"Do you think something has happened between Rebecca and the Captain?" Jarred asked.

"You know…" Jim said through a mouthful of food, "you just might be right _lover-boy_…" Jarred growled at the nickname while Jim stirred at his food experimentally, swallowing what he had eaten. "Johnny-Boy's been unusually bitter lately and I don't think that the weather's to blame… something's definitely up."

"I've been trying to talk with Rebecca all week but…" Juanita sighed. "She simply doesn't want to talk to anyone."

"Well, I hope Johnny-Boy cheers up sooner than later…" Jim ate more of his meal.

"Why?" Martin enquired.

"Well one…" Jim swallowed his food as he held up one finger. "It's making me get a little depressed… and two," he held up another finger, "tomorrow's his birthday…"

"What?" The table's other occupants asked simultaneously.

"How is it that you know this?" Martin asked.

Jim finished his meal. "Well… all week, I've been doing some calculations…"

"So that's what that smell was…" Jarred chirped with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up 'Red…" Jim rolled his amber eyes, "any way, I've done enough study of the time changes to calculate the actual date on Romano of today, which is the day before Johnny's twenty-fourth birthday."

"I see…" Martin stroked his chin in thought. "Anyway… the only means of solving this problem is knowledge of the actual problem." He stated plainly. "Juan, perhaps you should try to speak with Rebecca once more, she's bound to eventually open up to you."

"I don't know, Marty…" Juanita rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "She's a tough nut to crack, I'll tell you that…"

"Just try." Martin implored. He then turned the brunette first mate. "Jim, you of all of us know John the best, I think you should try to speak with him."

"I'll try…" Jim shrugged, "but I mean, he keeps himself locked up in his quarters all day… only comes out everyone once in a while to check the coordinates, and even then he doesn't want to talk… the only person he'll actually let in on a daily basis is Scroop."

"Don't you two see?" Jarred realized, "John and Rebecca both have one connection." He paused as his companions looked at him. "Scroop."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you, Whisperwings (as always) for your very helpful betaing.

**MG#6**


	25. Happy Birthday John

**Author's Note:**

Ah… I find this _drama_ quite entertaining. (Perhaps not as much as my love for action, but I like it nonetheless…)

* * *

Scroop carefully made his way to the captain's quarters with a tray of lunch held between his pincers. He kept his eyes glued to the tray, hoping to avoid spilling the soup that he had balanced upon it, so he wouldn't grant himself extra work.

The young arachnid had become so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice a young brunette man in the same corridor, until he bumped his tray against him.

Scroop winced, as if expecting to be hit. Jim simply grasped the bowl of soup before it could spill a drop onto the floor.

"Good afternoon, Scroop." Jim smirked in introduction. "I have a favour to ask of you."

"What's that?" Scroop averted his golden eyes.

"Well, you see my older brother has been avoiding me for the past week," Jim idly swished the contents of the bowl around, "and I'd like to speak with him."

"What do you need me for?" Scroop asked.

"Well, Scroop, you happen to be the only person who's seen him for any length of time, all week…" Jim smirked. "So I reckon that you can get me into his quarters."

"I haven't been in his quarters." Scroop stated. "I only deliver his meals; he just opens the door and takes them."

Jim chuckled. "Oh believe me –Scroop- I only need the door to be opened." He smirked, his amber eyes twinkling mischievously.

* * *

"Captain Silver?" Scroop's recognizable voice came from the other side of the door to John's quarters. "Your lunch…"

There was noise within and John came to the door. "Thank yeh lad." he nodded as he took the tray of food. "Now on with yeh, I imagine yeh 'ave more work teh get done." Scroop mutely nodded and skittered down the hallway.

Just as John was closing the door, Jim slid the blade of a knife between the doorjamb and the door -close to the door's hinges- stopping the door from closing completely. John didn't take notice that the door to his quarters wasn't shut, and he set the meal down on the corner of his desk, looking out through the port windows of his quarters.

Jim stealthily grasped the doorknob and opened the door, loosening the knife he had wedged between it and its frame. He crept around the door, gently closing it behind him and he tiptoed towards his older brother.

"Yeh 'ave gotten a little craftier since I last saw yeh, haven't yeh Jimbo?" John asked without turning around.

Jim chuckled and stopped tiptoeing. "And you're hearing has gotten better, despite your growing age, hasn't it Johnny?" The young brunette speared a hunk of bread off of John's tray and took a bit out of it.

John scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What do yeh want, Jimbo?" He turned to face his brother.

Jim shrugged innocently. "Do I have to want something to see my older brother?"

"So, yeh don't want anythin'?" John raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Jim gulped down the hunk of bread. "I didn't say _that_…" He smirked.

John sighed, sitting down in an armchair behind his desk. "What do yeh want, Jimbo?"

Jim prodded the desk's top with his bread-impaled knife. "I want to know why you're so down, Johnny." He twirled the knife between his fingers. "Usually you're an okay guy, but lately, well… not so much."

"What are yeh getting at?" John raised an eyebrow.

Jim shrugged. "There's something bothering you." He waved the knife at John. "And I wanna know what that something is."

John sighed. "It's none of yer concern, Jimbo."

"Oh yes it is!" Jim snapped, dropping the knife back onto the tray, "It is my concern, Johnny-Boy, because you are unhappy and that's affecting me!" He stared frankly into his older brother's coal-black eyes. "You are hiding something from me and that's what's eating away at you, so spit it out!"

"Are yeh talking down teh yer older brother, Jimbo?" John challenged.

"Yes, I am." Jim retorted. "Because right now he's just acting like a big baby."

"Now see 'ere!" John stood from his chair to meet the challenging eyes of his younger brother.

"No you see here, John!" Jim snapped. "I know something's up and I've got half a mind that it has something to do with you and Rebecca."

"Well, if that's the case, Jimbo," John began, "then I suppose it would only concern me an' Rebecca."

"No, because it's affecting everyone!" Jim shouted.

There was a pause between the feuding brothers. Then Jim let out a sigh.

"You'd be able to see that if you came out of this prison of yours." He turned away, opening the door. "And if not, Johnny, then have your self a nice, happy birthday… all alone. You could sit here bellyaching all night, get drunk…" Jim began walking out. "Read a book, for all I care!" He slammed the door forcefully behind him.

There was a moment's silence as the quiet of solitude settled in the captain's quarters. John reached into one of the pockets of his jacket and retrieved the navy-blue-covered journal.

The words of Rebecca and his brother echoed freshly in his mind as he opened up the pocketbook, smoothing out the first page, and began to read into its contents.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for the reviews and to Whisperwings, thanks for betaing!

**MG#6**


	26. Time to Convince Rebecca

**Author's Note:**

Thank you to Whisperwings (for pointing out the flaws in my writing and for your constructive criticism) and thank you to my readers (because you've actually taken the time to read this fanfic thus far, which is awesome!)

* * *

Jim sighed as he exited the lower decks to get some fresh air. He ascended the steps to the helm and sat down on the wooden railing on the starboard side of the ship.

"Told you that I wouldn't be able to reason with that dunderhead;" Jim pouted, folding his arms across his chest. "Doesn't matter if I'm his brother or not."

Martin sighed from where he was stationed at the helm of the ship. "Perhaps, Juanita will have better luck with Miss Rebecca."

"Yeah…" Jarred cut in cheerfully, standing at the ship's portside control panel, "If Juanita can make me dance, then it'll be no problem for her to reason with Miss Clarke."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I've got the feeling that convincing you to do something, isn't much of an achievement." That wiped off Jarred's enthusiastic smile.

* * *

Scroop carefully carried Rebecca's lunch between his pincers, facing the same dilemma of keeping the soup from spilling.

"Scroop." Juanita's voice cut in from the shadows, startling the young arachnid.

Using her impressive reflexes, developed from years of being a mercenary, Juanita caught the tray carefully in her hands without spilling a drop of soup.

"A little jumpy, are we?" Juanita gave Scroop a slight smirk.

_'Why is everyone sneaking up on me today?'_ Scroop growled slightly. "What do you want?" He demanded.

"Oh, so I suppose that Jim's already intercepted you today." Juanita stated with a slight smirk, "I understand, that could make anyone grumpy…" She paused. "Well… what I want is-"

"You want me to get you to Rebecca's room, don't you?" Scroop cut in.

"Clever kid." Juanita smirked. "So lead the way, I'll carry the lunch."

Scroop sighed and clicked down the corridor towards Rebecca's quarters.

* * *

Scroop tapped lightly on Rebecca's cabin door.

"Come in…" Rebecca's forlorn voice answered as the door was opened from within.

The two sailors entered the room, Juanita more silently than Scroop to avoid suspicion as Rebecca was turned away from them.

"Please just set the meal over there, Scroop." Rebecca gestured to the desk next to the door, having recognized Scroop's distinct footfalls.

Scroop shrugged at Juanita, who set the lunch tray upon the desk.

"I'll be getting back to my duties." Scroop stated, backing towards the door. "If that's all right…"

"Yes." Rebecca nodded. "Don't let me detain you for any longer than is absolutely necessary." She motioned for him to leave.

Scroop shrugged once more to Juanita and then left. Juanita shut the door after Scroop and began to edge her way towards Rebecca.

"Do you not _also_ have duties to attend to, Juanita?" Rebecca asked without turning her back from the Shikaran.

Juanita froze in her steps; stunned that Rebecca could've identified her without looking, as silent as she was.

Rebecca made a noise in her mouth that seemed to be a repressed laugh. "No need to look so stunned, Juan." She turned around, revealing a small mirror that she was holding in her hand.

"Clever move." Juanita smiled.

Rebecca gave Juanita a weak smile, tucking the mirror into her jacket pocket and sitting down on top of the covers of her bed. She sighed and looked at the only female member of her escort. "I suppose that I own you an apology, Juanita…"

"An apology, Miss Clarke?" Juanita raised an eyebrow, retrieving a purp that she had snatched from the galley and biting into it. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "Well, I've been… quite secretive for the past week." She stated, "and a bit reclusive; not allowing myself to talk with anyone…"

"Well, you just spoke with Scroop a moment ago." Juanita stated, wiping the purp juice from the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"No, I just spoke _to_ Scroop a moment ago…" Rebecca pointed out. "I haven't actually engaged in any conversation nor social interactions with anyone since our launch from Shikari." She looked away, thinking over her last conversation with John. She sighed and looked up at Juanita.

The Shikaran looked back, slightly stunned. She swallowed the bit of purp and thought a moment. "So… what exactly _is_ it that's been keeping you cooped up in here?"

Rebecca let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I don't entirely understand the reason, myself."

Juanita traced a circle on the uneaten skin of the purp. "You know, maybe the cure is to get out of here?" she offered

Rebecca looked up at the blue-skinned woman oddly.

Juanita shrugged. "Just a suggestion," she stated, "I mean, I wouldn't want to waste time our _there_ by being stuck in _here_, if you get what I mean."

"Yes…" Rebecca nodded, "I could easily be sitting around like a bump on a log elsewhere, but no; I am here." She stood from her bed and looked up determinedly. "I should make the most of life."

"Um…" Juanita was taken back from Rebecca's sudden rush of enthusiasm but decided to go with it. "Yeah! So how 'bout we go out onto the main deck?"

By the time Juanita had spoken, Rebecca had already shut the door behind her.

"Hey, Rebecca, wait!" Juanita hurried out of the cabin after Rebecca.

* * *

Rebecca ran out onto the main deck, hurrying towards the bow of the ship.

A few of the crewmembers cast odd glances at the young woman, but continued going about their work.

"Rebecca!" Juanita sprinted after the young woman, who had climbed over the railing at the bow of the ship. "Wait a second, what are you doing?"

Rebecca climbed out onto the rope netting below the bowsprit and sat down near the very edge. She grasped two ropes and looked at the rose-winged flock of Mantabirds flying below the bow of the ship.

"Rebecca?" Juanita called from the railing of the ship.

Rebecca glanced back at the female Shikaran and then resumed watching the Mantabirds gracefully gliding through the Etherium.

Juanita heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out onto the netting and sat down beside Rebecca. "Sheesh! You know, you nearly gave me a heart attack just then…" She scolded the young woman, "I thought that you were going to jump ship or something crazy like that!"

Rebecca smiled faintly. "Sorry…" She kept her eyes glues upon the Mantabirds. "I guess…" she sighed, "I didn't realize just how long I was in that room. Something must have clicked inside me when an opportunity presented itself."

"Well…" Juanita stood up on the rope netting. "Just don't do that again, you scared me."

Rebecca chuckled softly, standing up beside Juanita. "I don't intend to stay in my cabin for that long ever again. I'm sorry for worrying you, Juanita." She made her way back to the main deck of the ship.

"Hey, remember, without you, I'm outta a job." Juanita pointed. "Right?"

Rebecca nodded, climbing back onto the main deck and watching the Mantabirds from the railing. Juanita sighed and climbed up beside Rebecca.

* * *

_John took me out on a longboat ride tonight…it was the most thrilling experience that I've ever encountered in my life. The only word that I can use to describe the wonder of seeing the Theta Nebula up close is: enchanting._

_I don't know for how long we were out there, but apparently I had fallen asleep for the majority of the time. I suppose that today has been a long day, after all, but I finally woke up, still in the longboat while it was in its lower chamber of the ship. John had placed his jacket around my shoulders so that I wouldn't get cold and was only just closing the lower hatch of the longboat dock house when I had woken up._

_I don't know what to write down for my feelings at that moment… I was happy to have such a caring friend but at the same time curious about our relationship. I mean, I can only say that we are more than just friends at this point… but I still can't say exactly what we are. I guess, in time, I will have to find the answers myself._

John closed the pocketbook as he read the last entry of Rebecca's journal and felt like shooting himself in the head. _'What 'ave I done?'_

The young man then stood from his chair and hurried out of his quarters. He immediately saw Rebecca bolt from her cabin for the main deck with Juanita hurrying after her, shouting her name.

John raised an eyebrow in curiosity and then followed the women.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

You know, I think that I'll end the chapter right here, just to keep you guys hanging until the next update (oh, suspense is an evil thing…)

**MG#6**


	27. Emery

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for hanging in there…

* * *

"What do you think has gotten into her?" Jim asked as Rebecca and Juanita climbed back onto the main deck from the bow's netting.

"Hard to say…" Martin leaned against the railing of the helm while Henry took the wheel of the ship. "Perhaps she's overwhelmed from what's happened."

"For a moment, there," Jarred stood beside Martin and Jim, "I was afraid that she was going to jump ship."

"No… she wouldn't…" Jim stated. Martin and Jarred gave him serious looks. "Would she?" The amber-eyed male asked, glancing at the black-haired woman.

Before either male could answer Jim, a young man exited the lower decks, walking out onto the main deck. It was John.

"Well, well…" Jim watched his older brother make his way to the bow of the ship. "I guess I'm not too bad at reasoning then…"

* * *

Juanita, spotting John approaching the bow of the ship, quickly told Rebecca that she had some reports to write up in order to allow the two young adults some privacy.

Rebecca watched Juanita leave and then noticed John up on deck as well. She looked away, turning to the railing of the ship and looking out at the Etherium.

John stopped in his steps, thinking about how he was going to word his apology. He had –after all- been quite rude to Rebecca the last time that they had spoken, refusing to hear her opinion or to acknowledge her actual feelings. He stuffed a hand into the right pocket of his jacket and felt the cover of Rebecca's pocketbook. He withdrew the journal and took a step forwards.

"I know that yeh probably don't wanna talk, Rebecca…" John started.

Rebecca glanced at John, waiting to at least hear what it was that he had to say.

"Umm…" John thought where to begin. "Here's yer book back." John held out the journal to Rebecca.

The young woman took back her journal and looked it over. She then looked back at John and waited to hear him out.

John huffed, rubbing the back of his head. "Rebecca…" The young man seemed at a loss for words. "I-" He looked up and locked eyes with Rebecca, who was beginning to tear up. "I'm sorry…"

Tears ran down Rebecca's cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself. She sniffled, trying to control herself and looked up at John. "I thought that you hated me John…"

John looked tenderly at Rebecca. "No, lass, no way in the Etherium could I ever hate yeh." he stated.

Rebecca wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Well, you certainly acted like you did."

John sighed. "I know." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I was… angry. I thought that yeh only thought of me as just another sailor, after all that we've been through."

Rebecca looked sincerely up at John. "I haven't thought of you as 'just another sailor'… ever." John raised an eyebrow at this and Rebecca blushed softly. "I- I always had a feeling that you were different, John… something more."

John's face brightened at Rebecca's words, but before he could say anything there was a call upon the air.

"Planet, ho!"

The two young adults looked off the bow of the HMS Aurora and saw the densely populated planet of Emery. They had arrived.

* * *

Rebecca silently packed her things. Within the hour the HMS Aurora would be docked in Emery's main spaceport and her newest voyage would begin. Her eyes watered at the thought of leaving John, but she shook the tears away. _'After all, this is how it must be.'_

She finally tucked her pocketbook into the outer pocket of her bag and stood up. There was a tapping at her cabin's door and she looked up. "Come in." She called.

Jarred opened the door and cleared his throat. "We're nearly at the dock, Miss Rebecca."

"Oh…" Rebecca looked back at the room she had called her own for the last four weeks.

Jarred nodded, understanding. He shouldered his duffel bag and walked towards the main deck, allowing Rebecca to be alone.

Rebecca looked back upon the room once more before picking up her bag and leaving, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

_'Now where do I go?'_ Scroop stood on the platform below the mainsail of the mainmast and looked out at the crowded port city. _'Rebecca's finally going off on her own, so I could either join her and her escort… or stay on this ship…'_ He pondered inwardly, weighting each of the choices.

"It's not fair." Scroop growled under his breath. He looked at the young man at the helm of the ship and the young woman standing at the bow. _'Why do I have to choose between friends?'_

The young arachnid looked emptily out at the port city, wishing that someone would just make the decision for him.

* * *

The gangplank of the HMS Aurora was laid down upon the dock to the densely populated spaceport. Rebecca stared at the plank of wood as some of the crewmembers from Romano filed off of the ship to take their time in port. She looked up from the gangplank and spotted John.

The young man stood with a grave aura around him, his eyes glued to the planks of the main deck. Rebecca walked over to the young man, setting down her bag and looked up at his face.

John locked eyes with Rebecca and then looked away. "Well…" He rubbed the back of his head and then cleared his throat. "I suppose that this is good bye…"

Rebecca's pale green eyes watered, as she looked away and mutely nodded. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat to form appropriate words of adieu.

"Surely…" Rebecca choked back tears. "You could stay for a while, in port…"

John's eyes widened as he looked down at the young woman. _'She wants me teh stay…?'_

"Couldn't you?" Rebecca asked, forcing back her tears.

"Well…" John rubbed the back of his neck and a warm smile appeared on his face, "I suppose I do owe the crew a little _longer_ stay in port, due teh our short stay on Shikari."

Rebecca felt tears of happiness flood from her eyes and she was rendered speechless. She simply leapt forwards, wrapping her arms around John's neck, and hugged him as her way of thanks.

John chuckled warmly, gently hugging Rebecca back. "Don't yeh fret, lass, I'm not about teh leave yeh." He whispered quietly.

The two young adults separated. Rebecca wiped away her tears and smiled up at John, too overjoyed for words at his decision to stay. John smiled back.

* * *

There was a creaking of wood as something approached them from the gangplank.

"Permission to come aboard this vessel?" A robotic voice enquired.

The two young adults turned to see a well-maintained robot of similar design as the Robocops that patrolled the populated areas of the galaxy.

"Granted." John stated, looking at the robot curiously.

The robot wheeled on board the HMS Aurora and turned to face Rebecca. "You are Lady Rebecca Clarke, are you not?"

"Yes." Rebecca answered.

"There is a message for you from the High Duchess Maria Steepleton." The robot extended its arms, offering a gilded envelope to Rebecca.

"The High Duchess?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow, taking the envelope and looking it over. She opened it and read its contents. "An invitation to a banquet?" She gasped in astonishment.

"The High Duchess's connections with the Planet Treaka knew you'd be coming to Emery at the time of the High Duchess's annual banquet." The robot stated.

"I guess my mother _does_ have connections all over the Etherium." Rebecca stuffed the invitation back into its envelope and looked at the robot. "Please inform the High Duchess that I would be honoured to attend."

"The High Duchess will be most pleased to hear this." the robot nodded. "As your vessel had a later arrival than expected, I must inform you that the festivities will begin four hours from now."

"Four hours?" Rebecca's eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes, as inconvenient as it is." The robot stated.

"Just one question, before you leave." Rebecca cleared her throat. "May I bring someone with me to this banquet?"

"Assuming they he or she is deemed fit for a banquet in the presence of the High Duchess." The robot state indifferently as it turned away and left the two young adults.

There was a lengthy pause between the two young adults and then John spoke.

"So who is it that yeh plan teh bring teh this banquet?" He asked.

"Umm…" Rebecca pushed one of her loose bangs behind her ear. "I was kind of hoping that _you_ would join me, John."

"Me?" John looked at Rebecca bewilderedly.

"Well, let's assume that this banquet is one of my mother's plots to set me up with a suitor to wed." Rebecca began. "I'd want _someone_ there as morale support at least, and perhaps as a means of escaping." She said the last part more to her self.

John raised an eyebrow in interest. "Yeh actually think that I will be appropriate for a banquet?"

"Certainly." Rebecca smiled warmly. "You're more of a gentleman than you let on, John… I'm sure that you'll fit in."

John scoffed.

"All right, well _maybe_ you won't fit in with the pompous windbags that assume the world revolves around them." Rebecca looked up at John, "But you _have_ met my brothers, and they're nobility."

"That's true…" John stated.

"So John, will you accompany me?" Rebecca asked.

John paused, meeting Rebecca's pleading eyes and he smiled softly. "All right Rebecca, but didn't that bucket of bolts say that the banquet was tonight?"

Rebecca's eyes widened as she gasped. "You're absolutely right! We'll need to go shopping for appropriate clothing!"

John groaned, wondering if he had indeed made the right choice, as Rebecca dragged him towards the crowded port city.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to _Whisperwings_ for her timely updates, as I wish to get this story done before my summer break, which is coming up sooner than I had thought.

**MG#6**


	28. Finding Appropriate Attire

**Author's Note:**

So yeah… thanks for betaing Whisperwings!

* * *

It had taken a considerably lesser amount of time to locate appropriate clothing for John, as his younger brother and the male members of Rebecca's escort had accompanied him.

Now Juanita and Rebecca were browsing through the variety of dress shops, trying to find a modest but becoming garment for the noble woman.

Rebecca looked over a golden off-the-shoulder gown, holding it up against her body, before placing it back where she had found it.

"You know…" Juanita said in a bored tone of voice, as she was more accustomed to shopping for clothing better suited for her trade, which excluded dresses, "it _might_ be a little easier to decide if you actually _tried_ on the dresses."

"I'm fine selecting _this_ way." Rebecca retorted, casting aside a silver-white dress with small puffed sleeves and elbow length gloves.

Juanita huffed. "Just offering some help." She threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Hey," Jim entered the store casually with Jarred in tow, "how's it coming?" he asked; leaning against the wall of the shop.

"Rebecca just can't decide what to get." Juanita pointed out, "and the high duchess's banquet is in one hour!"

Rebecca held a pink dress with long sleeves and pointed shoulders against her self, "You can't rush something like this, Juan." She looked back into the mirror and noticed that the dress had seemed to change to a light blue. She blinked, carefully placing the dress back where it belonged and sighed. _'I must be getting tired…'_

"Well…" Jarred grabbed the nearest dress, "why don't you try on this one?" He held out the dress. It was forest green in colour with an off-the-shoulder style and a pair of ivory elbow length gloves.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow, having not noticed the dress in question, and she took it from Jarred. "Fine, I'll try it on." She turned away and entered the back room, getting dressed.

Juanita, Jarred and Jim waited a moment and then Rebecca returned. The two Shikarans and the young man let out simultaneous gasps of awe.

"What do you think?" Rebecca asked, holding out the skirt to look over the silky front.

"I think that everyone at the ball's going to be jealous of you, Rebecca." Juanita smirked.

"That and Johnny-Boy won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Jim pointed out.

Rebecca flattened her eyes in irritation but could not stop her soft blush.

Juanita elbowed Jim in the ribs.

"What?" Jim scowled, "the truth's the truth… I just tell it like it is!"

Rebecca caught her reflection in the corner of the eye and turned to gaze into the full-length mirrors. Three copies of a beautiful woman gazed back at her. She smoothed her gloved hands across the front of the dress and then placed them at her stomach.

"It's perfect…" Rebecca whispered; a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"See?" Jim gestured to Rebecca. "She likes it!"

"It'll definitely go with what we got John." Jarred pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jim stood up. "Now you'd better hurry up, Rebecca. You've got a banquet to get to."

* * *

"Alright, you go get ready, Rebecca, _I'll_ distract Johnny-Boy for the time being…" Jim smirked playfully to the woman in question.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, "I highly doubt that _John's_ the one that needs to be distracted, James." She turned from the first mate and entered her quarters.

Jim groaned inwardly, turning for his older brother's quarters. Rebecca was in for a surprise, he was sure of it…

* * *

Rebecca walked out onto the main deck of the HMS Aurora. Her forest green dress brought out her pale complexion, the darkness of her hair and made her pale green eyes shine like polished jade. She looked around the main deck and then spotted him.

_'That can't be John… can it?'_

It was. He was dressed in a forest green spacer outfit with a deep yellow trim, tawny trousers, polished boots, and he had a new black leather tri-pointed had upon his head trimmed in gold atop his head.

Rebecca stopped in her steps, gazing at the young man in astonishment, knowing inwardly that he was doing the same. She finally unfroze herself and walked towards him, trying to find something to say.

John smiled warmly to Rebecca when she stopped in front of him. "Yeh look beautiful, lass." He stated.

Rebecca blushed; glad that the evening's darkness could provide her cover, "Thank you… you looked rather dashing yourself, John."

"Aye, but tonight it'll be Admiral John Smith that they'll be calling me." John stated with a polite tip of his hat.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Figured that -if I'm goin' teh such a high-classed banquet- I'd best go under a respectable alias." John winked to Rebecca, straightening up as if he were a spacer of the royal navy.

Rebecca couldn't help but giggle. "All right _Admiral John Smith_, we'd best be on our way to the banquet to avoid tardiness." She stated.

"Right yeh are, Lady Rebecca," John offered his arm to Rebecca, "an' I've got just the means of gettin' there…" he gestured to a carriage at the foot of the gangplank.

Rebecca gasped as she recognized the elegant beasts of burden. "Tri-tail Stallions?" She looked up at John amorously. "However did you find them?"

"Well, apparently Emery's got a similar transport system as Treaka," John started down the gangplank with Rebecca by his side. "Plus I've got a _few_ connections." He smiled.

Rebecca smiled back and then looked at the carriage. It was an open buggy fashioned out of ivory-white wood, making the pair of dark-haired three-tailed horses stand out.

"Where too?" The juvenile voice of a squirrel-like humanoid asked from the front seat.

John helped Rebecca up into the buggy and then sat in the seat across from her. "Take us teh the High Duchess's banquet, if yeh please."

"Certainly governor, milady..." The driver tipped his hat respectfully to the two young adults and then he clicked the reins against the flanks of the two stallions.

* * *

The High Duchess Maria Steepleton's estate was a marvel to look upon as the carriage brought John and Rebecca to the front of the mansion. It was constructed entirely out of polished white marble and seemed to glimmer against the night sky.

The carriage came to a halt at the front entrance of the mansion. A set of stairs led to the opened double doors, where warm golden light flooded outwards.

A footman helped Rebecca out of the carriage and Rebecca took John's arm.

"Well…" She looked forwards. "This is it."

John nodded mutely, trying not to show his nervousness. He smiled weakly to Rebecca and led them towards the front entrance and into the home of the High Duchess.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for the reviews!

**MG#6**


	29. The High Duchess's Banquet

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to Whisperwings for betaing, hope everyone had a nice long weekend, and on with the show –er- fic!

* * *

"The Lord José Dwayne and Lady Felicia Arbour," The formally-dressed announcer at the head of the stairway into the High Duchess's ballroom called out.

Rebecca chewed on her bottom lip, instinctively tightening her hold against John's arm. John glanced down at the young woman and tried to provide a reassuring smile. Rebecca could see the nervousness within John's coal-black eyes, but weakly smiled back.

"Sir Timothy San Tiago and Lady Miriam Gloucester," The announcer looked at the approaching couple. "Ah, Lady Clarke, the High Duchess has been anticipating your arrival." He cleared his throat. "And you are, sir?"

"_Admiral_ actually," John cut in, "Admiral John Smith."

"I see." The announcer looked over John quickly and then turned to the banquet hall, "Admiral John Smith and Lady Rebecca Clarke." He called out.

A generous amount of the grand ballroom's occupants turned to watch Rebecca and John descend into the ballroom.

"Does _everyone_ here know who you are, Rebecca?" John asked experimentally as they walked down the stairs.

"Apparently so, though I haven't the foggiest clue as to why." Rebecca fiddled with her fingers.

They reached the bottom of the stairway, where John was instantly offered to dance from a group of ladies. Rebecca couldn't help but giggle and let John to the mercy of the women, while she retreated to one of the corners of the ballroom.

* * *

"Becky!" A familiar voice called out from close by. Rebecca looked out into the crowd of hundreds of formally-dressed people.

"Giles?" Rebecca turned to the source of the voice and was immediately swept into a tight hug from her older brother.

The young man released his hold on Rebecca, setting her down. "Well look at you, Beck... still all grown up, I see."

Rebecca laughed warmly. "And I see that you're still as childish as ever, Giles." Her older brother was wearing an ultramarine suit with his usually messy dark brown hair neatly in place.

"Shh…" The copper-eyed male pressed a finger against his smiling lips. "I'm actually here with someone so you don't want to drop the hint that I'm not all suave and such." The smirk on his face remained.

"Oh really?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?"

"You know Gertrude Hart?" Giles whispered.

"That old lady, who used to send her greyhounds after us when we would go through her gardens?" Rebecca asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes, that one… Well, her niece just came back from Alpha Diego." Giles nodded his head to a blonde lady dressed in a bright blue evening gown, speaking amongst other ladies.

"Oh." Rebecca smiled slightly. "Would this happen to be the same Brianna Hart who you pushed into the mud at the Fairville Festival when I was four?"

Giles snorted. "I can't believe that you actually remember that." He rolled his eyes. "But yes… that's her." A smirk played on Giles's face. "We're getting married soon, and you should come home for the ceremony."

"Giles? Getting married?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "That must be an elaborately tall tale."

"Yeah, well…" Giles rubbed the back of his head and glanced at his fiancée, "we're in love."

Rebecca smiled warmly to her brother, noticing the longing in his eyes of which she had seen many times in Jarred's eyes when he looked at Juanita. "Well, I'm happy for you."

Giles cleared his throat. "Anyway, Mother sent me here in hopes of finding you, because of my and Brianna's wedding. I personally think that she just misses you."

Rebecca laughed, shaking her head at the thought of her always-worrying mother. "Well, I have to admit, I do miss home terribly… but I am enjoying sailing the Etherium, very much."

"I can tell as much." Giles smiled back. He looked around the crowded ballroom. "So, who's the guy you came in with? Don't tell me you've found a suitor already."

"An old friend of yours," Rebecca smiled. "You probably didn't recognize him with his disguise on after all this time."

"Disguises…" Giles pondered aloud. "You can't possibly mean Ol' Johnny Silver?"

Rebecca couldn't help but laugh. "He's over there," she nodded to the green-uniformed man surrounded by women, "I believe that you two have quite a bit to catch up on."

"Johnny!" Giles ran out into the crowd to catch his old friend.

Rebecca suppressed another laugh, shaking her head at her brother's childishness. She looked around the ballroom and took the nearest glass door out onto one of the balconies overlooking the High Duchess's gardens. The sky was a deep blue-purple and littered with thousands of stars.

* * *

"Out for air as well?" A voice asked from beside Rebecca.

Rebecca looked beside her and noticed a well-dressed felid with skin like that of a leopard, dark raven-black hair swept into a bun, and brilliant yellow-green eyes. She wore a bejewelled circlet and a champagne-coloured gown with elbow-length gloves.

"I daresay it's quite crowded in there." The felid smiled warmly.

"Indeed, especially when so many people know you." Rebecca sighed, leaning against the marble banister around the balcony. "My family's close friends with the High Duchess, you see."

"As is mine," the felid stated, "though this is the first time I've attended one of her banquets, usually she just attends those on my home planet."

"Same here," Rebecca smiled, "I am Rebecca Clarke, daughter of Lord Townsend and Lady Clarke."

"Kimberlyn," the felid introduced herself, "daughter of the king and queen of Centauri."

Rebecca's eyes widened. "A princess?" She formally curtseyed.

Kimberlyn chuckled lightly, "No longer. I've revoked my inheritance to the throne for…" she paused, "something better."

"Something better?" Rebecca looked up at the felid.

Kimberlyn gestured to a young male felid inside the ballroom wearing a deep ochre spacer suit. He had milk-white skin, short rust-red hair and his eyes were a bright green.

"My husband, Atlas, is a spacer." Kimberlyn explained. "To marry him, I had to cast aside my eligibility for the throne, because he is of lower rank." She smiled. "But I agreed to it." She chuckled lightly, "Apparently Atlas's younger sister is also breaking tradition and becoming a spacer herself. Amelia, I believe, is her name."

"Really?" Rebecca pondered inwardly at the princess's words. "So, just like that? You revoked your rank, for love?" She asked.

"Yes I did, for true love knows no ranks." Kimberlyn smiled. She turned away, leaving Rebecca out on the balcony, staring up at the stars for an answer.

* * *

"Johnny, you ol' scallywag!" Giles gave John an affectionate clap on the shoulder as he escorted him from the presence of the many women. They stopped by a curtained archway leading out to the High Duchess's gardens.

"Well I'll be," John laughed, "If it isn't ol' Joker Giles, back from the dead."

"Oh yeah," Giles smiled widely, "long time no see, Johnny. I hear you brought my baby sister to this banquet."

"Actually," John rubbed the back of his neck, "_she_ brought _me_."

"Ah, that's like Becky…" Giles smiled fondly, "Nothing like a little protection against all those blood-thirsty know-it-alls." He retrieved two glasses of champagne from one of the many white-suited butlers and grabbed a hors-d'oeuvre. "So what's been happening with you all these years, Johnny?" Giles asked, handing one glass to John and biting into the hors-d'oeuvre.

"Just been sailing, like always." John stated nonchalantly.

"And how _exactly_ did you meet up with my sister?" Giles raised an eyebrow.

John chuckled. "Fate, I suppose. But yer acting like we're _together _or somethin'…" He cleared his throat, "Well yeh see, Giles, were both on the same ship outta Treaka an' we got along fine. I accompanied her teh Los Terrano, we stuck together 'til then, an' now I'm providing her with a ship teh go wherever she fancies."

"You think I'm acting like you're together." Giles scoffed. "You should hear your own story, Johnny." He smirked behind his champagne glass as he drained it.

John rolled his eyes and looked out at the ballroom. Many couples were dancing to the orchestral music on the polished dance floor below a crystal chandelier. It instantly reminded him of the ferry from Los Terrano to Romano and the time he had spent with Rebecca. He stirred the contents of his own glass and drained it.

"Excuse me, if yeh will, Giles." John looked at the young man.

"Sure, just make sure that you wish Rebecca a Happy Birthday, Johnny…" Giles rubbed his neck with a half-laugh, "I forgot to do so when I spoke with her, but no matter I soon will!" Giles then hurried out into the crowd to go find his fiancée.

John sighed and looked out at the ballroom.

* * *

Rebecca gave the stars one last look before she entered the ballroom once again. She was immediately confronted with a large group of young men.

"Well, Lady Clarke," one man said, grasping her gloved hand, "It is an immense _pleasure_ to see you tonight." He emphasized 'pleasure' while looking deeply into her eyes, making Rebecca uncomfortable.

"How do you do?" Rebecca's voice cracked; she quickly pulled her hand away just as the man was going to kiss it.

"Yes, you look positively _ravishing_ in that dress, Lady Rebecca." Another man said.

Rebecca chewed her bottom lip, searching for an escape. She was completely surrounded by these eligible suitors and was at a loss of what to do.

"Care to dance?" many of them asked at once, offering their hands to her.

"Now see here, I was going to dance with her first!" The men began to argue.

"Umm…" Rebecca tried to speak. Her mouth was too dry to help her get her voice above the young males' argument.

"Please, Miss Clarke, I insist."

"No, I suggest you dance with me, Lady Rebecca."

"Lady Clarke!"

"Miss Rebecca!"

"I..." Rebecca's voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Actually –gentlemen- she's got a dance with me, first." John's voice cut in as he stepped into the circle of suitors. He looked at Rebecca and smiled warmly, "she owes me as much."

"That I do, Admiral." Rebecca found her voice again, feeling immense relief as she took John's arm and the crowd of suitors dissipated. "Thank you so much, John…" She whispered as John led her towards the dance floor.

"Couldn't let yeh get eaten alive there, lass." John smiled as he and Rebecca turned face to face on the dance floor. "Just don't blame me if I'm not the best dancer."

Rebecca smiled, setting a hand down upon John's shoulder and taking his other hand. "I'm sure that you are a fine dancer, John." She looked into his warm coal-black eyes.

John couldn't resist smiling back, setting a hand gently on Rebecca's waist and leading them into the three-time waltz.

* * *

Despite John claiming to not be the best dancer, Rebecca was surprised at the finesse of the young man. She had danced with many men and John was –by far- one of the more superior dancers. He didn't lead them into the paths of other dancing couples, never once stepped on her toes, and kept his eyes locked on Rebecca's rather than staring at their feet.

Rebecca couldn't help but smile at all the young man had done for her. He was the greatest companion that she could ever ask for and a loyal gentleman. Sure he had a few rough edges, but he had been there for her when she was in need and had supported her since they had met.

* * *

Rebecca smiled up at John and something stirred within the young gentleman. Under the crystal chandelier Rebecca seemed to angelically glow. It reminded him so much of the night the two of them had gone out to see the Theta Nebula, and even drew up memories of the night he had spoken up against her objectification.

There was a tap at John's shoulder and he turned around.

"Mind if I cut in?" Giles asked with a smile.

John chuckled, "She's all yours." He politely bowed to Rebecca before allowing Giles to take his place. The young man then made his way to the entrance to the High Duchess's gardens.

Rebecca's eyes followed John until he left the main ballroom. She then turned to her older brother and smiled.

Giles sighed, getting into position to dance with his sister. "You know, I'm curious, Becky."

"Of what?" Rebecca allowed one last glance at the entrance of the gardens before looking back at her brother.

"Well, it's quite obvious that you and John like each other." Giles stated, "Why aren't you two a _we_ yet?"

"Pardon?" Rebecca was confused at her brother's words.

"I mean to say," Giles twirled them around, "That John likes you, and you like him, so you should get together."

"Giles!" Rebecca scolded. "You know as much as I do about our family, what would they think?"

"Oh, so this is about rank, is it?" Giles retorted.

"Don't start that." Rebecca snapped and then sighed, "I've… already been through it."

Giles paused as the music guided their steps, "so you _have_ considered your and John's relationship?"

"Yes." Rebecca stated, looking away.

"And, your conclusion?" Giles pried.

"Mother and father would never approve." Rebecca said curtly.

"When was this ever about our parents' approval?" Giles enquired.

"Giles, I'd like our parents' to be happy with a relationship between myself and John," Rebecca stated, "But I know that they wouldn't be!"

"How?" Giles demanded. "If anything that they'd want most, they'd want you to be happy!"

There was a silence between the siblings, filled only by the orchestral music.

"That's what got you here, right?" Giles looked seriously into Rebecca's eyes.

"Yes." Rebecca said with a sigh.

"So, go get him." Giles smiled warmly. He stopped where they were and nodded towards the entrance to the gardens.

Rebecca looked at the dark entrance and then back at Giles.

"Oh and Rebecca," Giles added, making his way towards his dancing fiancée, "Happy Birthday."

Rebecca smiled softly and made her way towards the entrance into the High Duchess's pristine gardens. She looked back into the ballroom and then entered the evening's darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yeah, my creative zing is beginning to level out, hell-o writer's block! But thankfully this was a nice long chapter, to make up for the long wait to come…

**MG#6**


	30. In the Gardens

**Author's Note:**

Thank you to _Whisperwings_ for loyally betaing!

* * *

Rebecca stepped out into the gardens, looking around in the darkness for John. A pathway led through the ornate gardens, bordered by waist-high box hedges and lit by small cast-iron lanterns on stakes. The overall effect was magical. The moon of Emery shimmered at its zenith in the deep indigo sky.

The young woman followed the twisting pathway until she was deeper in the secluded gardens. The box hedges gave way to pure white trees that were twisted into intricate columns. The small lanterns were hung from the spiralling branches of the trees, their candlelight giving off a gentle glow.

The pathway widened until Rebecca faced an elegant fountain in the centre of a clearing with the twisted white trees rising up over it. Rebecca gazed upon the breathtaking architecture, speechless from the beautiful sight. The thought of meeting up with John vanished from Rebecca's mind as the silvery water dancing down the curves of the marble fountain enchanted her. That is, until someone came up beside her.

"'Ad teh get away as well, Rebecca?" John asked rhetorically.

Rebecca looked up at John. "John…" She tried to find the appropriate words but failed to speak them, chewing on her bottom lip. "I-" She sighed, at a loss for words. The young woman's cheeks flushed up as she stumbled over her words.

John raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was that Rebecca wanted to say. He had never seen the young woman at such a loss for words. She had always been opinionated and ready to outline her point of view of everything, but now she was having trouble getting anything out.

Rebecca cleared her throat. "Would you… care to dance, John?" She enquired.

John smiled good-heartedly, "quite the dance floor choice, lass."

Rebecca smiled weakly at John's words. Rather than getting into the appropriate waltz formation, Rebecca wrapped her arms around John's neck, stepping closer to the young man. John was surprised of Rebecca's forwardness, but didn't remark upon it as he set his hands down at her waist.

The couple slowly stepped from side to side, admiring the close proximity of their bodies and drinking in the beautiful atmosphere of the High Duchess's gardens. Rebecca set her head down on John's chest as she exhaled, feeling the beating of his heart beneath her cheek. John wrapped his arms around Rebecca, holding him to her as he felt something stir at the bottom of his heart. It was a feeling of belonging and that everything was as it was meant to be.

"Rebecca…" John began. Rebecca looked up at the young man, her head still against his chest. John smiled down at the young woman. "Happy birthday."

Rebecca smiled softly. "Giles told you?"

"That he'd did..." John smirked, "so what, are yeh seventeen… eighteen years old now?"

Rebecca repressed a laugh, rolled her eyes. "Twenty-one, John. Twenty-one."

John simply smiled, swaying gently from side to side with Rebecca in his arms. "Should probably get yeh somethin'."

"That's not necessary," Rebecca stated, "after all, I didn't get you anything for your birthday, John."

"I don't need anything from yeh, Rebecca…" John stated, "I just need teh be with yeh."

Rebecca's eyes widened as she looked up into John's eyes. He looked away, realizing what he had let slip and fumbled with an apology.

"I- We should…" He slipped out of Rebecca's arms, "get back, teh the party." John quickly escaped the clearing, running back towards the High Duchess's mansion.

"John!" Rebecca called after the young man. But it was too late, he was gone.

Rebecca let a sigh escape her lips as she sat down at the edge of the fountain. The pale moonlight shining from the full moon began to disappear as the sky clouded over.

* * *

John stopped outside of the gardens. _'Why in the Etherium did I blab what I did?'_ He pulled of his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. _'She's high society... an' she'd never go for someone like me.' _John looked down at his polished boots.

_'What 'bout what she wrote in her journal 'bout yeh?'_ Another voice in his head asked.

_'That doesn't mean anythin'!' _John argued with his self.

_'Oh yes, it does…'_ the voice retorted.

"I must be a madman, I'm arguing with meself!" John sighed.

He looked up at the High Duchess's mansion in all of its grandeur. _'I'll never be right for a life o' luxury…'_ He stated to his self as a raindrop fell from the heavens and hit his face.

Ignoring the protesting voice in his head, John tossed the hat that he had purchased for his admiral alias to the ground and began to make his way back to the port.

* * *

_'Everything had been perfect… why couldn't I just tell him when I met up with him?' _

A single tear slipped down Rebecca's face and hit the ground. A raindrop followed the tear soon after and Rebecca looked up at the cloudy sky. The moon was shrouded in thick, dark clouds as were the stars.

_'Don't sit here and wallow in your own self misery!'_ a commanding voice rung through her head, shockingly similar to that of her headmistress. _'Find him and tell him exactly how you feel about him!'_

Rebecca stood from the fountain and hurried from the clearing. The rain began to fall harder and her raven-black hair fell from its orderly up-do as she ran. The young woman paused only to pull off her shoes and run barefooted through the gardens.

She finally made it out to the High Duchess's mansion, wondering if she should enter the ballroom. The rain and running had made her appearance less than presentable, but she needed to find John.

The young woman sighed, stepping towards the mansion when she felt something under her foot. She looked down and spotted John's _admiral_ hat. Rebecca picked up the tri-cornered hat and looked it over.

Her instincts told her that something was wrong. _'John wasn't likely one to drop his hat by accident.'_ Her pale green eyes widened as her mind quickly jumped to conclusions.

_'Perhaps he's been discovered! He'd be thrown off the High Duchess's grounds if he were found out to be a commoner, or possibly thrown into jail!'_

Rebecca hurried towards the main area, where the carriages had been escorted, and looked for the one that John had hired.

She found the dark-haired tri-tail stallions and called out to the driver. The driver didn't respond so Rebecca hurried to the carriage's side.

"Driver, has the Admiral been by?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know about the admiral, love." A dark voice answered from the driver's seat, obviously not belonging to the chipper youth that John had hired. "But I know that you're going somewhere."

Rebecca gasped as she felt three darkly-cloaked beings come at her from all sides and force her into the carriage.

* * *

John made his way down the lengthy pathway leading from the High Duchess's mansion through the torrential rain. The wind began to pick up, making visibility difficult. The young man stuffed his hands into his jacket's outer pockets and strained to see through the ill weather.

"Help!" A muffled scream came from behind John, one that he instantly recognized.

"Rebecca?" John turned around. He suddenly heard the click-clacking of a carriage coming up fast.

John leapt out of the way in order to not get hit and noticed that the carriage was the one he had hired for the night. There was a flash of a pale face at the back window of the carriage and the muffled screams intensified.

"Rebecca!" John called after his stolen carriage, hurrying after it.

But it was no use, John soon lost the carriage through the rain and his heart sank at the thought of Rebecca's well-being.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So yeah, this story is definitely going to have a lot more chapters than "You Need to Find Yourself a Girl Mate"… and unfortunately I'm going to have to work on it over the summer, but stay tuned!

**MG#6**


	31. Through the Pouring Rain

**Author's Note:**

Well, it's been a nice long summer vacation of brainstorming and working on my fics, among other things. Thank you for waiting and enjoy!

* * *

Scroop's golden eyes opened quickly as he tried not to fall out of his hammock. Had it been the dream in which he had heard the screaming? He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and remember what it was he had seen. All he could remember was a mass of shadowy bodies, fire and a piercing scream. He hadn't recognized anyone from the dream. It was only the chaos and the screaming that had managed to wake him up.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" John exclaimed as he hurried back up to the High Duchess's mansion. Even if he was no longer presentable for the ball, he had to warn somebody of Rebecca's capture.

The young man sprinted up the steps, taking them by twos, as he reached the front doors into the mansion. He slammed open the doors and immediately felt all eyes upon him.

John ignored the stares, trudging towards the dance floor and finding Rebecca's older brother.

"Giles!" John turned the other man around. "They've taken Rebecca! Pirates!"

"What?" Giles asked, bewildered. "Pirates?"

"Yes." John nodded. "They've kidnapped her."

"Why the devil would they want Becky? Unless-" Giles cut himself off in the midst of his thoughts. "Come on! My carriage is outside."

"Giles!" Brianna Hart –Giles's fiancée- turned the aforementioned man around by his shoulder. She looked up into Giles's copper-brown eyes with concern.

"Bri, she's my baby sister." Giles stated calmly.

"But, the High Duchess!" Brianna looked at Giles with wide dark blue eyes.

"I think the High Duchess will understand." Giles said sincerely. "Now, could you stay here and give my regrets to our hostess? I need to find Rebecca."

The young lady sighed, looking down. "I suppose."

Giles cupped his fiancée's chin, looking into her eyes. "I love you, Bri." He stated truthfully.

"I love you too, Giles." Brianna planted a kiss on Giles' lips and smiled up at him. "Good luck." Giles nodded and then led the way out of the High Duchess's mansion.

John and Giles hurried out into the pouring rain, running towards Giles's carriage.

* * *

"Gag the broad, she's making much more trouble than she's worth." One of the shadowy pirates within the carriage ordered.

The pirate at Rebecca's left side pushed her back into her seat, holding her there while the pirate at her right side forced a bandanna over her mouth. Rebecca swung out her elbow, having her hands tied behind her back, and caught one of the pirates in the stomach.

The man grunted and growled dangerously. "More trouble than she's worth is right." He pulled out a dagger and pressed the tip against Rebecca's neck. "What does Bones want her with, anyways?"

"Didn't say," the shadowy voice came from across the two pirates and Rebecca, "reckon it's important since he 'ad us go teh Emery of all places."

The man bearing the dagger sheathed the aforementioned weapon. "**And** he had us follow the carriages -in broad daylight, might I add- to the **High Duchess's** mansion!" The pirate scoffed, "You know, we're damn lucky that we didn't get jailed!"

"So yeh see, darling," the shadowy man -sitting with his back to the driver- reached forwards to roughly grabbed Rebecca's face with one of his gloved hands and forced her to look at him, "We went teh a whole lot o' trouble teh obtain yeh. Now it'd be _nice_ if yeh made the trip back a _little_ more bearable than yer already making it." He released his hold on Rebecca's face and leaned back in his seat.

Rebecca's answer was a very hard kick to the man's shin, though doing so resulted in an uncharacteristic _clank_ and sent a shock of pain through her foot.

The man chuckled. "This one's got a bit o' wind in 'er sails…" The other two pirates chuckled sinisterly.

* * *

"We'll use your vessel –with all due respect- John." Giles stated as his carriage rushed through the rain towards the port. "Brianna and I took a cruise ship here, and there's no way that it'd get us back to Treaka in time."

"Treaka?" John looked at his friend in confusion. "Why in the Etherium are we goin' back teh Treaka?"

"Because that's where the pirates are taking her." Giles stated. John gave his old friend an odd look. Giles sighed at this. "Look, I'll explain what's going on once we get to your ship." He cleared his throat. "Which dock is it at?"

"Fifteen. In the Gamma Sector." John stated.

Giles nodded and gave the directions to his driver. The carriage made a right turn and Giles sat back in his seat, gripping his knees nervously. He allowed a glance out the carriage's window, squinting through the pouring rain for his sister.

* * *

The carriage finally came to a stop and the two pirates sitting beside Rebecca grabbed her by her arms. Rebecca was forced out of the carriage onto the puddle-filled streets of the port. The young woman pulled in vain against the hold of the pirates.

Rebecca tried to move the gag bound over her mouth by nudging her shoulder against her face, but found that the bandanna had been tied quite tightly. Rebecca lunged forwards, head-butting the pirate walking ahead of her in the back and managing to push the gag off of her face.

"Help!" Rebecca screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping that her voice wasn't lost though the pounding rain. She continued screaming, her lungs burning, as the pirates grabbed a hold of her.

"Shut her up!" One of the pirates shouted, "Or we'll be spotted."

Rebecca struggled in the hold of the two pirates, refusing to stop her screams of bloody murder. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her temples as she tried to pull with all her might against the men. One of the pirates withdrew a sword and hit Rebecca at the base of her neck with the hilt, knocking her out.

"Hurry yeh filthy bilge rats!" The pirate in charge of the group ordered as nearby lights began to flicker on. "Her screams will 'ave alerted the town guard, an' Bones wants a clean getaway."

* * *

"Jimbo!" John called out to the HMS Aurora. "We need teh get goin'!"

"You're crazy, Johnny!" Jim shouted. "Half the crew's in port."

"This is an emergency, Rebecca's been kidnapped!" John stated as he and Giles made their way up the gangplank.

"Rebecca?" Jim's amber eyes widened as he bolted to the Aurora's control panel and sounded the ship's alarms. "All hands on the main deck!" He called. "All hands!"

The ship's alarms blared red as the resounding noise echoed through the port. Giles hurried up to the helm of the ship.

"James Silver, right?" Giles asked Jim.

"Yeah." Jim stated. His hands were a little shaky as he began firing up the controls to the ship while the crew began to assemble on the main deck.

"Giles Townsend."

Jim nodded. "I heard a lot about you while John was serving in the war, I was too young at the time." He added. "You're one of Rebecca's brothers, right?"

Giles nodded, smiling a little. "And I have every intention of getting my baby sister out of those filthy pirates' clutches."

Jim flashed a smile, trying to cover up his nervousness. "Same here."

* * *

Rebecca began to regain consciousness, still being dragged along by the pirates to their ship. The rain hadn't lightened up since it had begun and thick black clouds veiled the night sky.

The bandanna had been retied over Rebecca's mouth, more tightly this time, and her dress clung tightly to her body from the rain. She looked around, trying to make out anything other than the dark forms of her kidnappers through the pouring rain.

"All hands to stations!" A voice called from above them.

Rebecca was then dragged up a gangplank and forcefully shoved onto the main deck of a large vessel. She stumbled on her feet and looked around, trying to identify the features of the ship through the pouring rain.

"Come along, girly!" A nearby pirate dragged her by her upper arm to the centre of the main deck, facing the helm of the ship.

The pirate crew worked quickly to get the ship ready for launching, ignoring Rebecca's presence.

"Cap'n Bones!" The pirate retaining Rebecca called up to the helm, "We have the girl!"

"Good." An aged voice came from the helm, "throw her in the brig and let's get sailing!"

"Aye Cap'n!" The pirate then dragged Rebecca below deck towards the ship's brig.

* * *

"Are we all set teh sail, Jimbo?" John climbed up the helm. His face was hardened with determination, but one could sense the uneasiness about him.

"Yeah, but… all in all, we've only got eight people." Jim pointed out.

"Well 'ave teh go with just that, Jimbo," John stated, "we just don't 'ave the time teh get everyone else."

"Aye." Jim nodded. "Initiating launch in five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

"Fire Away!"

The HMS Aurora blasted out of the spaceport. Once they cleared the planet's rainy atmosphere, they had a slightly better visual and began searching the Etherium for the elusive pirate ship through the thin clouds of space dust.

John scanned the Etherium but his mind was elsewhere. _'How could I 'ave let her outta me sight? If I 'ad stayed with her…'_ John stopped himself and thought about the High Duchesses garden.

"There!" Juanita's call from the crow's nest cut through John's thoughts. "Off the port bow!"

John looked to where Juanita was calling and gasped. "It can't be."

"Billy Bones' ship: _The_ _Black Arrow_!" Giles answered, looking at the dark vessel that had appeared through the clouds of space dust. "Flint's best vessel in his pirate fleet... next to _The Walrus_, of course."

"Captain." Jarred called from the bow of the ship. "There's something strange forming in front of that ship…"

True to the male Shikaran's words, a ray of green energy was emerging in front of the ship, forming into a massive triangle.

"It looks like…" Jim began, "A portal? Wait a minute-" the first mate exclaimed. "He's gonna get away!"

"Fire all thrusters!" John commanded. "Full speed."

The HMS Aurora lunged forwards as all of the ship's thrusters launched the ship behind the legendary Black Arrow. The triangular portal opened to view the very familiar section of the local galaxy, Treaka being near its centre.

The two ships plunged through the rift and were immersed in a thick cloud of space dust, which acted like a thick fog. The Black Arrow disappeared from their sights as the HMS Aurora began to slow down.

"Nothing." Martin stated, standing at the starboard bow with Scroop.

"There has to be something." Scroop leaned against the railing, squinting through the thick dust. He felt nothing short of despair as he strained his golden eyes to find the missing pirate ship. To find Rebecca…

* * *

** Author's Note:**

Thank you to Whisperwings for still loyally betaing after such a lengthy wait.

**MG#6**


	32. Need for Divine Intervention

**Author's Note:**

And so, we continue on with action, drama, and the stuff that we all love… (Hurray!)

* * *

"Captain, This mist is too thick to maintain our current speed." Jim stated from the Aurora's control panel. "We'll have to slow down to avoid any possible collisions."

"Right yeh are…" John squinted through the dense space matter. "Henry, take the helm, Jimbo… keep yer eyes on the scanner."

"Aye Captain." The two males answered.

"Giles." John turned to his old friend, "We need teh talk, in private."

Giles spotted the seriousness in John's eyes and nodded. "Of course." He said curtly, following John.

John made his way to the lower deck. "Everyone, keep a sharp eye out for anythin' that could damage the ship." He ordered.

"Aye Captain." A handful of voices answered.

* * *

John and Giles entered the lower decks and made their way to John's stateroom in total silence. John was curious about what it was that Giles was hiding, but more important, he was worried about Rebecca. _'If Bones lays one hand on her…_' John didn't want to think about it. He pushed open the door to his stateroom and allowed Giles inside.

When John locked the door to his quarters behind him, he began the conversation.

"What do these pirates want with Rebecca?" He demanded seriously.

"To the point, as always John." Giles sighed, rubbing his temples. "With Rebecca, absolutely nothing." Giles stated. "I hate to say this, but, she's only the bait in their search for what they really want."

"An' that would be?" John enquired.

Giles sighed, reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling out a small silver shard. "This is what they're after." He stated guiltily.

"A small trinket?" John asked flatly, but couldn't tear his eyes from the shard. There was something about the silver shard that pried at his curiosity.

"No. Better." Giles pocketed the shard. "It's a key."

"A key?" John raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. That's what Bones called it." Giles stated.

"To treasure?" John asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Giles sighed. "But I have a bad feeling about it." He gripped the bulge in his pocket. "Bones was in liege with Flint and Flint was evil. There's no way that he'd make getting at his treasure that easy, right?"

John looked away. "Right." He shook his head and sighed. "We're getting off topic, Giles. We shouldn't be talking 'bout treasure. We should be planning a means of getting Rebecca back."

"Of course." Giles nodded. "That's just part of what I need to tell you, though." He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against a wall of the stateroom. "Bones thinks that this key is at Townsend-Clarke Estate, because he thinks that that's where I kept it."

"How in blue blazes did yeh get it in the first place?" John demanded.

"Well," Giles looked at the floor, "It was on one of our missions on Alpha Diego. The day you and I got separated from that rockslide."

"Oh…" John rubbed the back of his head, "That day…"

Giles nodded. "I found a cavern on the side of the cliff –like I told you- but what I didn't tell you, is that someone was living in that cave."

"Bones?"

Giles nodded. "I found a small chest in the cave… I was about to grab it when Bones came out. I grabbed the nearest thing on the chest, which was one of these keys –there were three of them on the front of the chest- and got out of the cave -using a system of tunnels- when Bones gave chase." Giles paused to let out a sigh. "Bones swore he'd get his hands on me for stealing his key, but I didn't expect it to be like this." Giles looked away. "It's my fault they took Rebecca… he- he should've taken me."

"He would've killed yeh the moment he got his grabby paws on that key." John stated.

"Then maybe that's what I deserve." Giles looked at the floor. "Rebecca sure doesn't deserve to be punished for something I did…" Giles stuffed a hand into his pocket, contemplating tossing it out into the Etherium. He then remembered that if he did that, then he'd never get his little sister back. "I know she's strong, but they're pirates."

John placed a hand on Giles's shoulder. "We'll get her back, Giles." John stated clearly. Giles looked up at John's resolve. John looked away and sighed. "I'm sure Rebecca's all right." He spoke both his and Giles's wishes.

* * *

Rebecca paced the filthy cell in the Black Arrow's brig. Her eyes searched the hold but her mind was elsewhere, formulating a plan while she was trying to keep her nerve. Her hair, still dripping from being in the rain, was fully let down from its up-do and her dress was torn in places from being manhandled and dragged about.

As to the escape plan, the young captive had nothing of worthy cause. She needed something that would involve minimal contact with the dangerous pirates -as she was unarmed- and involved minimal divine intervention. She firstly needed a means of unlocking her cell door (hence the need for divine intervention). Then she'd need a way to get to the lowest chamber of the ship where there would _hopefully_ be a longboat that she could commandeer (she'd need at least sheer dumb luck). Then she'd need to escape the pirates, find out where she had been taken, and find a way home (again, there was still the need for divine intervention).

_'Oh it's hopeless.'_ Rebecca sank onto the bench attached to the wall in the brig, her head in her hands.

The door entering the brig creaked open and Rebecca looked up from the filth-covered floor. A hunched-over turtle-like man entered the brig with a dark cloak and a large tri-pointed hat shadowing his eyes. There was a noticeably round bulge in the pocket of his overcoat, which he would claw at every now and then.

"Where is the key?" He demanded, jumping straight to the point.

"Key?" Rebecca looked at the man strangely. "I don't know what in the Etherium you're talking about. But what I would like to know is why you've taken me and where exactly we are going." _'And how many guards do you keep patrolling your longboats.'_

"Don't play dumb." The cloaked pirate snapped. "You know about the key to me chest."

"I beg your pardon, but I know nothing about any key." Rebecca stated plainly. "Now tell me why you've brought me here!" She exclaimed.

The pirate growled and turned away. "So you don't know…" He looked back at Rebecca with a malicious smirk. "Then I guess the lad's been keeping secrets from you."

"What?" Rebecca shook her head, hoping to clear her mind. _'This is getting ridiculous… it's like talking to a broken record.' _ "Look, with all due respect –_sir_- I still haven't the foggiest clue to what it is that you are talking about." Rebecca tried to maintain her composure. "Now, I'd like for you to either explain your self, or you can release me from this cell and take me home for all I care." _'Like that's likely…'_

The pirate chuckled. "Oh, we'll take you home, Miss Clarke, you can be sure of that." He limped up the stairs, exiting the brig.

_'Well that's reassuring.'_ Rebecca sat down on the bench attached to the brig wall. She glanced out a small porthole, seeing nothing but thick clouds of space dust. _'What in the Etherium did he mean? A key? And who's keeping secrets from me?'_ She held her head in her hands and thought back to the High Duchess's garden. She looked up at the ceiling, leaning against the wall, and sighed. _'I hope John's alright.'_

* * *

"There's Port Hastings." Giles pointed out to John as they steered the HMS Aurora through around space matter. Everyone was assembled at the helm of the ship, for the planning meeting. "Bones will likely land in the port and then try to sneak through the shadows to get to the estate."

"Can yeh alert the town guard?" John asked.

"Yes, I'll send word to them to monitor ships coming into port." Giles stated. "But we also need to get up to the estate, to warn my father."

"Yeah," John rolled his eyes, "I'd imagine that his knowing that there's a band of pirates heading for his mansion would be a good idea."

"Sarcasm, John. Unnecessary." Giles stated flatly. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, you find the nearest means of transportation to the estate; I'll alert the town guard. Meet back at our dock as soon as you can."

"All right… let's stop those cutthroats." Jim stated.

* * *

The HMS Aurora pulled into port, throwing down its gangplank as a group of sailors ran down to the docks.

"You guys tie down the ship, we'll be back!" Jim called to the remaining sailors, running with his older brother while Giles ran to alert the town guard.

Minutes later the crew assembled in the port, climbing into a large buggy that Jim and John had acquired. Giles soon joined them and then they were off to the Townsend-Clarke Estate.

"What's that?" Scroop asked, pointing at something above them, heading in the same direction.

"What in blue blazes?" John looked up as Jim egged the tri-tailed stallions to go faster.

"It's the Black Arrow!" Juanita exclaimed.

"It's heading right for the mansion." Martin stated.

"I guess I assumed wrong." Giles sighed. "I was thinking strategic, not pirate."

"C'mon, faster!" Jim called to the horses, looking ahead. _'We have to make it to the house before the pirates. We have to...'_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you to Whisperwings, for betaing.

**MG#6**


	33. Chaos and Flames

**Author's Note:**

Ooh… intense action time! WOOT! WOOT!

* * *

"Unhand me this instant!" Rebecca struggled in the iron grip of a feral-looking canid as the wolf-like pirate dragged her to the starboard side of the main deck.

"Yeh heard her ladyship, Romulus," a rat snickered while crouching on the railing of the ship, "let her go."

"You're hardly worth listening to, Finnegan." The wolf canid -named Romulus- rolled his eye (for his other had a patch over it) and he elbowed the rat humanoid off of the ship.

The rat gave a yelp, before landing into a longboat below the starboard railing. Romulus lightly leapt onto the railing, pulling Rebecca up with him and he hopped into the longboat. Rebecca landed unceremoniously into the longboat and was pulled to one side by Romulus.

Bones climbed into the longboat next, followed by the shadowy man, who Rebecca had kicked. Both his legs from the knee down were mechanical, giving reason to the previous clank when Rebecca had kicked him.

"Bring her around the house and aim the main gun for the ballroom." Bones ordered, pointing to a glass dome at the far side of the mansion. "Finnegan will give you the signal to fire, then prepare the ship to leave."

"Aye Captain." The first mate, a cackling ostrich-like creature responded.

"Why not simply transport into the ballroom with Flint's map?" Romulus enquired.

"It's not that detailed." Bones stated, grasping a round bulge in his overcoat. "Besides, it would likely get damaged and malfunction. The map needs to be kept under lock and key, so this is why we need what Townsend has stolen."

"What are you talking about?" Rebecca exclaimed. None of her brothers and certainly not her father would've ever stolen something, even from a pirate.

Bones ignored Rebecca's outburst and looked at the mansion. "Come now." Bones fired up the longboat's engine and steer the vessel for the glass dome. "When we get through, take all able men as hostages."

"What about treasure, captain?" The rat man asked, trying to stay standing in the speeding longboat.

"We'll loot the place once we have the key in hand." Bones stated, increasing speed as they approached the glass dome. "Mister Romulus, if you please."

"Aye Captain." The wolf pirate pulled out a small handheld grenade and lit it. He held it for a split second, before hefting it through the glass dome. An explosion shattered the last of the dome and the longboat increased its speed.

Rebecca could hear screams within and watched wide-eyed as the longboat dove into the ballroom. A large crowd of people ran in all directions from the falling glass.

Bones halted the longboat just above the centre of the ballroom's dance floor while the rest of the pirates leapt out of the vessel and began taking hostages. Rebecca was pulled out of the longboat by the pirate captain, who held a charged laser pistol to her temple.

"Try anything and I blow your brains out." He hissed.

Rebecca was dragged to the centre of the ballroom as the pirate crew created a circle of hostages held at sword- and pistol-point. She could see her two older brothers struggling in the grasps of a large Densadron while her mother and Sebastian's wife cowered with the women and children in the room at gunpoint.

"Now," Bones took a step, dragging Rebecca with him, "Where is Giles Townsend?"

The room's occupants looked at each other in confusion.

"If I figure out that you're hiding him somewhere, I'll blow out this girl's brains." Bones cocked the laser pistol to make his point. "Now where's Giles Townsend?" He shouted.

There was a resounding boom of double doors slamming open at the entrance to the ballroom. The pirates' attention and the barrels of their proton rifles were turned to the doors. A loud response soon followed.

"Right here!" Giles entered the ballroom with seven other sailors at his heels. "Now unhand my sister –Bones- and I will give you your key." His copper-brown eyes were livid at the sight before him.

"Give me my key, and I'll unhand your sister." Bones retorted, pressing his laser pistol against Rebecca's temple, causing the woman to wriggle uncomfortably.

Giles pulled something from his pocket, flashing a silver light at Bones. The pirate captain tightened his hold on Rebecca as he narrowed his beady eyes at Giles.

"I said release my sister, and never show your face in this galaxy, or I'll never give you back your key." Giles stated.

"Are those your terms, Mister Townsend?" Bones enquired.

"Yes." Giles stated through his teeth. He stepped forwards away from the rest of John's crew, into the circle created by the pirates. "Release her." He ordered.

Bones lowered his pistol from Rebecca's temple and gestured at the key with it. Giles tossed the key at Bones' feet. Bones released his hold on Rebecca and allowed her to retreat to the group of sailors while he snatched his key.

"Keep me hands off your sister, and never show me face in this galaxy." Bones pocketed the key and looked up, his malicious smirk return. "So rest the final terms of Mister Giles Townsend." He then raised his pistol and fired a shot through Giles's chest.

"No!" Rebecca screamed, watching her older brother fall dead at her feet. Jane Clarke sobbed from the other end of the ballroom as Sebastian's wife held her from rushing to Giles's side.

"Loot the place! Kill the lot!" Bones unsheathed his sword and raised it in the air. "For Captain Flint!"

The pirates roared as they began fighting the men in the ballroom. The soldiers and sailors managed to obtain weapons and began fighting off the cutthroats while everyone else tried to make an escape.

* * *

"Stay back!" Juanita grabbed a candelabrum and hit the rat pirate across the face, knocking him back. The female Shikaran came back to back with Jim, who was busy fighting off another pirate with a stolen sword.

"You know…" Jim kicked the pirate back. "You fight pretty well, for a girl."

Juanita laughed, swinging the candelabrum behind her to catch an oncoming pirate in the face before Jim could be hit. "You fight pretty well for a boy."

* * *

"Serenity, get out of here!" Sebastian helped his younger brother and his father against the Densadron.

"Not without you!" Sebastian's wife called. She then screamed as a pirate came after her.

"Hands off!" Sebastian yelled, throwing his sword into the pirate's back and running to his wife's aid.

"Sebastian, behind you!" Rebecca called, helping John fight off a band of pirates.

Sebastian grabbed his sword from the back of the pirate that had tried to attack his wife and stabbed it into the gut of another pirate.

Denton –still fighting the massive Densadron- was then tossed across the room, hitting a pillar at the opposite side. There was an explosion that caused a piece of the roof to fall upon the Densadron, killing it.

"Finnegan –you idiot- I said give the signal, not drop the house on us!" One of the pirates scorned the rat humanoid.

"Aye." The rat man pulled out a hand grenade, lit it and threw it up in the air.

The resulting explosion collapsed a section of the roof farther away, allowing the pirates a margin of time to get back into their longboat.

"Denny!" Sebastian called out to his youngest brother, now separated from him by a barrier of rubble. His shouts we cut short when Romulus tackled him, stabbing a dagger into his side, before running to the longboat with a malicious snicker.

"Sebastian!" Serenity cried to her husband, kneeling beside him. "No!"

There was a far-off explosion of cannon fire as a cannon ball came barrelling through the ballroom. The resulting impact shattered the main supports in the ballroom and blew more people astray.

"Get out of here!" Douglas called to whoever was still living within the room. "The roof is coming down upon us."

"Father! Mother!" Rebecca called out as sections of the roof began to create a wall of rumble between her and the last of her family. John grabbed Rebecca around the middle and fought against her as he made his way to the exit.

"Are yeh mad, Rebecca?" John struggled with the young woman in his arms. "We've gotta get outta 'ere!"

The cackling pirate captain steered the longboat towards his ship, throwing an oil lantern down upon the rubble and setting fire to the collapsing roof.

"No!" Rebecca screamed, fighting against John's hold to try and save her parents. "No!"

"Get everyone outta 'ere!" John commanded, fighting against Rebecca to get them out of the collapsing –and now burning- building.

Scroop, Juanita, Martin, Jarred, Henry and Jim hurried out of the building amongst the very few survivors of the pirates' attack. Rebecca continued to fight against John's hold as pieces of the flaming roof came down on top of her family.

"Rebecca, yeh can't save 'em now." John stated.

"No!" Rebecca felt hot tears fall down her face as she was finally pulled out of the ballroom and she turned away, running with John towards the exit before the rest of the mansion collapsed.

* * *

The coughing survivors stood outside the fiery inferno that was once the Townsend-Clarke mansion.

"He killed them." Rebecca gasped for fresh air as she fell to her knees upon the ground and looked up at her flaming home.

A mental image of Giles's empty copper-brown eyes upon his frozen face flashed through Rebecca's mind while the last words of her father echoed through her head.

Tears found their way out of her eyes as she tried to look away from the mansion.

"He killed them…" her breath hitched as she fought between coughs and sobs, "and I let him get away." She balled her hand into a fist and looked into the sky.

She knew that somewhere up there, the Black Arrow was making its seamless escape into the velveteen skies and was already plotting another hunt. The pirates had escaped.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you readers, and thank you Whisperwings (for betaing, of course).

**MG#6**


	34. Shadows Over the Graves

**Author's Note:**

Just think; this'd be the bonus chapter of the series' previous instalment. Hurray for long action- and drama-packed stories! (Especially those of the Treasure Planet variety)…

* * *

It took the town guard many hours to rifle through what was left of the Townsend-Clarke Estate to find the bodies of the deceased after the fire had subsided. The fire had spared nothing, every room and piece of ornate furniture reduced to ash and charcoal, except the barely recognizable corpses of those that had been killed. Only a skeletal frame of the mansion remained, providing fencing for a new graveyard.

Morning came on Treaka and Rebecca worked hard through the day, arranging for workers to clear the area and planning sites in which to bury her loved ones. She spoke little to her comrades, determined to finish what she had begun.

Before the blood-red sun could begin to set, the commoners and visitors who had been killed were buried in orderly rows; their loved ones mourning at the mounds of freshly dug dirt.

Six graves set in a line were before Rebecca. The young woman stood at the highest point of the Townsend-Clarke Estate, a small hill that was situated behind the mansion. She reminisced the days of her childhood during which she and her brothers had played on the hill in the spring, while the flowers were in bloom.

Now, the cold of autumn swept across the hill, scattering a few multi-hued leaves around the area. Rebecca knelt before the grave on the farthest right. Serenity Williams, Sebastian's beloved and bearing their first child, never to have it. So loyal to loving her husband that she sacrifice her own life to be with him in death. Rebecca took out a silver chain with an amethyst carved into a small flower, setting it down at the base of the headstone. It had been an anniversary gift that Sebastian was planning to give to Serenity, so it seemed fit that she'd have it now.

To the left of Serenity's grave was Sebastian's. Even in death, her oldest brother was at his wife's side. He had given his life to try and protect his wife, but now they rested together. Rebecca placed the only thing of Sebastian's that she could find when shifting through the rubble of her home, his compass. Hopefully it would guide his soul to the peace that it deserved.

Next was Giles's grave. Rebecca felt tears come to her eyes at the thought of her middle brother. No doubt that his fiancée would soon be receiving news of his death. She remembered the look on her rebellious and carefree brother's face. He had been so deeply in love with Brianna Hart, and Rebecca knew that the reverse was true as well. Rebecca pressed the iron cross that Giles had been awarded for heroic actions in the war into the dirt.

Next was Denton's grave. Rebecca sighed, her youngest brother had always been the voice of reason whenever her other brothers had their squabbles. He had defended her whenever other boys said that she couldn't play with them, being a girl, stating that she could probably beat them all at any game any way. Rebecca smiled, smoothing her hand over the top of the headstone and placing Denton's pistol in the soft dirt. Hopefully it would protect him from anything in the afterlife that might try to harm him.

Next was her father's grave. Tears fell from Rebecca's eyes as she fell to her knees. It had been her father that had convinced her mother to let her go exploring. He withheld the commanding but gentle voice in the house and was always willing to see both sides of a story. Rebecca unsheathed her father's sword and laid it on the dirt mound.

Finally, the grave the farthest to the right was her mother's. Rebecca sighed. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if she had listened to her mother's orders. If she had never left home, then maybe they'd all still be alive. Rebecca removed the silver cross that she had been wearing all day as a symbol of her mourning and she placed it in the dirt of the grave.

Rebecca stood up and looked at all of the graves, the afternoon sun fell behind her, casting her shadow upon the graves. She thought about what had happened. How fast everything had happened. How she had been unable to save the ones she loved dearly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Yeh don't 'ave teh be sorry, Rebecca." John's voice answered from behind her.

Rebecca glanced behind her at the young man, her eyes filled with tears. She wondered how long he had been standing there. Or how long that she had been standing at the graves for the matter.

"There's no way in the Etherium that this was yer fault." John walked up the small hill, standing before Rebecca.

A tear fell from each of Rebecca's eyes as she looked back at the graves. "Then why do I feel like it is?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"When someone who's special teh us dies, we feel a need teh justify their death." John explained. "Most of the time that involves pinning the blame on someone, which is usually ourselves." He looked at the graves and sighed, "we ask ourselves, what could we 'ave done teh prevent 'em from dying?"

Rebecca looked at John, knowing that he spoke from experience. "What do I do, John?"

John shrugged. "Let it all out." He stated. "Yeh'll feel a lot better."

"What?" Rebecca looked at John, bewildered. "So crying about will make it all better, like some child?" The young woman shook her head, unable to stop the tears that were falling from her eyes. "It doesn't work like that, John! Nothing will get better by blubbering like a child, nothing will-" She had to cut herself off as a sob forced its way from her lips and she fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

John knelt down in front of Rebecca and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her. Rebecca continued crying into John's chest.

"It hurts…" Rebecca choked out as her body shook with sobs, "it hurts… so much."

"I know, Rebecca." John eased a hand through Rebecca's raven-black hair. He rocked her back and forth, calming her down as he held her close.

She cried not only for her family, but for having fought against pirates when she was captured only to have them take away what she cared about the most. Rebecca clung to the front of John's shirt, wanting the sensation of closeness to never leave her. To never lose the soothing sensation from John's calming demeanour as she listened to the beating of his heart.

John held Rebecca against him, wanting all of her pain to fade away. He just wanted to see her smile again, to hear her laugh and to know that she was happy. He could feel the warm sun against his back as the last of the sun's rays melted over the horizon, casting dark shadows upon the graves of those who had died.

Rebecca's body relaxed in John's arms and John looked down at her, realizing that she had cried herself to sleep. He rested Rebecca's head in the crook of his arm and gently wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks. _'How could something so horrible happen teh someone like Rebecca?'_

He stood with Rebecca in his arms and carried her through the graveyard that was once her home, all the way down to the main road leading to Port Hastings. The young man stepped into a taxi carriage and gave the driver the directions to his dock. John laid Rebecca's head in his lap and looking out the window, watching the last of the sunlight disappear as night began to descend upon the port town.

* * *

Rebecca woke up in her bed on the HMS Aurora. She wondered how she had gotten into her bed and looked around. There was barely any light coming through the porthole, so she assumed that it was well past sunset. She sat up in her bed, grabbed something from under her pillow and got to her feet.

The young woman poked her head out of her room, looking around. The ship felt oddly silent. Empty. Rebecca walked down the corridor to John's stateroom. The door was slightly ajar and a warm lantern light came from within.

Rebecca opened the door, knocking lightly on the doorframe as she entered the room and looked around. John looked up from the desk he was sitting at, a half-emptied bottle of rum in one hand.

"Oh, you're up…" He sighed. The weariness on his face aged him well past his years, as if he had been through a thousand miseries.

Rebecca sat across from John. "What are you thinking about?" She enquired.

John exhaled. "How many bottles of rum I'm gonna need teh forget all that's happened."

"Well." Rebecca pulled out a crystal bottle of brandy. "Misery loves company."

"How'd yeh get that?" John asked, surprised that Rebecca –of all people- would have such a thing.

Rebecca's smile faded. "Giles's old stash." She looked away. "It…" Rebecca paused to collect herself; "It was the only thing of his that survived the fire." She looked up. "I've got more in my room."

John raised his eyebrows in interest. "Really?"

* * *

_"Drink up me hearties yo-ho!"_ John and Rebecca merrily stumbled down the corridors of the empty HMS Aurora -arm in arm- singing like there was no tomorrow.

Rebecca giggled as John pulled her into his quarters. She stumbled across the room, plopping her self into the chair behind the desk and downed the last of her brandy.

She smiled amorously to John. "Another glass, kind sir, if you please." The intoxicated woman held out her tumbler to her drunken companion.

"All right…" John slurred, elbowing the door to the bedroom closed, "but that's the last of it!" the young man emptied what was left in the bottle of brandy into Rebecca's tumbler. He drank up the few drops of liquid left in the bottle before tossing it aside.

"Tonight, we give a toast!" Rebecca proclaimed.

"A toast?" John raised an eyebrow.

"A toast: to death!" Rebecca exclaimed and then looked deeply into her glass. "For it is the single battle that not even the best of us –no matter how clever we are- can win." She held up her tumbler for a moment's pause.

"Teh death indeed." John clinked his bottle of rum against Rebecca's crystal tumbler and the two drained their drinks.

Rebecca set her empty crystal tumbler onto a John's desk and stumbled to her feet.

"We should… dance… the night away!" Rebecca fell inelegantly against John while the drunken young man tried to keep them both standing. He let the empty rum bottle slip from his fingers and clank against the floorboards before rolling away.

John chuckled; "I think yeh 'ave 'ad too much teh drink, Miss Clarke…" he then swept Rebecca off of her feet and tossed her onto his bed.

Rebecca squealed as she landed on John's comfortable bed. She leaned against the pillows of the bed and smiled up to the young man. "No more than you, Mister Silver."

"Yeh should get some sleep." John stated, his coal-black eyes twinkling from the alcohol-induced bliss.

"But I don't wanna sleep!" Rebecca giggled.

"Well then." John sat down on the opposite side of the bed, "I'll just 'ave teh wait right 'ere…" he lounged next to the young woman, propping his head up on a fist, "…'til yeh fall asleep."

Rebecca locked eyes with John. "I don't want to sleep." She whispered more seriously.

There was a short pause between the two young adults before they locked lips. Rebecca moaned gently, twisting her hands around the fabric of John's shirt as he cupped her face with his free hand.

They separated. "Yeh know…" John started, breathless from the passionate kiss. "I don't think I wanna get teh sleep, _either_." He tossed his jacket to the floor and pulled Rebecca into another heated embrace.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ooh… Thank you Whisperwings, you are awesome and you know it!

**MG#6**


	35. Search for the Black Arrow

**Author's Note:**

Well, we all knew it had to happen sometime.

* * *

Rebecca opened her eyes, squinting as sunlight filtered into the room. She slowly became accustom to her surroundings and to the fact that she was in a bed that was not her own without clothes. She looked at the floor, seeing her clothes haphazardly tossed to the floor alongside someone else's. Rebecca looked beside her in the bed and saw John, peacefully asleep. The pieces began to come together as the foggy bits of last night's events cleared up. A sudden pain was brought to her attention, not doubt a hangover kicking in from the large amount of alcohol she had consumed the previous night.

The young woman slipped from under the covers, grabbing her clothes from the ground and clothing herself in only what was absolutely necessary. She then tiptoed to the door of John's quarters, glanced back at the slumbering young man, and left.

* * *

John's eyes flickered open and the first thing he thought about was Rebecca. The young man sat up in his bed and looked around him. An empty bottle of rum was rolling about on the ground and an empty tumbler was set on his desk. He tried piecing together what had happened last night, but the only thing he could seem to remember was that Rebecca had a lovely singing voice.

The young man's mind went back to Rebecca. Had she left already? Were they ever going to see each other again? John darted out of bed and pulled on a pair of trousers before rushing out of his quarters.

He hurried to the door to Rebecca's room and stopped when he saw a piece of paper stuck between the doorjamb and the door. It had Rebecca's neat handwriting in black ink.

John pulled out the piece of paper and read it.

_John,_

_Jim, Henry, Martin and Scroop returned this morning and we've gone out to stock the ship's provisions. We'll be back around noon. Still haven't heard from either Juanita or Jarred yet. Scroop's concocted something that really helps with the hangover; it's in the galley next to the barrel of purps._

_-Rebecca._

John sighed. She had left, but not forever. He then made his way down to the galley to try out what the young arachnid had made up, being an age-old recipe of purp juice, powdered yuppi pits, a few ground up astro slugs and crusted potato rinds. Once the concoction began to kick in, John made his way back to his room to get fully dressed.

* * *

"Rebecca?" Scroop skittered alongside the young woman through the market while the three other males searched the streets for a bulk shop.

"Yes?" Rebecca looked down at Scroop.

"What are you going to do now?" The young arachnid asked.

Rebecca sighed. "I don't know." She stated. "I _should_ dismiss my escorts, stay here and live out my life but…" She cut herself off, examining a barrel of imported solara seed.

"But?" Scroop prodded.

Rebecca chewed on her bottom lip. "But I _could_ also go after Bones and avenge the deaths in my family." She sighed. "But that would be crazy."

"Crazy enough to become a reality?" Scroop enquired.

Rebecca paused for a moment and smiled. "Well… we are getting a good deal more provisions than we would need for a trip to and from Los Terrano."

"Where are we heading to, Rebecca?" Scroop asked.

"Alpha Diego." Rebecca stated. "It's the closest merchant planet in this section of the galaxy and I doubt Bones would pass up an opportunity to raid it."

"Then we should probably tell everyone else this." Scroop stated.

"Tell us what?" Martin enquired as he, Henry and Jim returned with a small packhorse and a carriage in tow.

* * *

"Alpha Diego?" John exclaimed when his companions returned with the ship's provisions. "That place is nothin' but a wasteland."

"Yes, but its also a mining planet, and a high source of Acturian sora crystals." Martin explained. "Very rich merchant ships come off of that planet."

"Yeah, and there's no way that Bones would pass up an opportunity to raid each and every one of them." Jim pointed out.

"The planet's three month's sailing from 'ere!" John stated. "An' with that portal thing on his ship, Bones will 'ave already gotten there an' raided the planet clean before we could get there."

"Not if he's not expecting us." Rebecca cut in. "When Bones captured me, I heard him arguing about a map of some sorts that was responsible for the portal maker. He said that without the key Giles had stolen, it was at risk of malfunctioning. He also said that the map has to be kept under lock and key to prevent it from getting severely damaged."

"But Flint used that map, no doubt." Henry stated.

"Flint built the map." Jim pointed out. "He knew how it worked. I doubt he would've told everything to Bones."

John sighed. "So we're gonna risk our lives -on a hunch that Bones isn't gonna be expecting us- teh avenge the lives of Rebecca's family?"

"He killed your best friend, if you remember." Jim stated.

"Getting back at Bones isn't gonna bring back anyone back teh life." John retorted.

"But it will stop more lives from being lost." Rebecca pointed out.

"So, what say you, Captain Silver?" Martin asked.

John sighed after a spell, feeling all eyes on him. "We must be barking mad… let's do it."

* * *

"You know, I'm quite nervous about the whereabouts of Juanita and Jarred." Martin stated as he climbed the ratlines up to the mainsail.

"Hey, they're both mercenaries like you, right Marty?" Jim unfurled the solar sail. "Don't worry about them, they'll be fine."

"All the provisions are in place and secured, Captain." Henry called from the main deck to John. "We're ready to launch when you are."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called.

Juanita Jones untied one of the ropes that held the HMS Aurora to its dock in Port Hastings and climbed up it to the main deck. She hopped over the railing and landed lightly on the main deck.

"You can't go sailing without a lookout." She stated.

"She's right, Johnny." Jim stated, climbing down from the ratlines.

"That she is…" John smiled. "Teh yer station Miss Jones."

"Aye Captain!" Juanita scurried up the nearest ratline to the crow's nest.

"Wait for me!" Jarred's voice came from the dock. The male Shikaran haphazardly made his way to the dock, leaping off of it to grab onto the rope dangling from the side of the already moving ship. He climbed up the rope and inelegantly flopped onto the main deck. "You can't… get going… without… a mechanic…" He said through pants.

"Nah, we'd probably be able to keep the ship in good repair without you, 'Red." Jim stated with a wide smirk.

Jarred glared at his companion. "What, so you could mess up the ship's engine? Nuh-uh."

"All right yeh two… quit yer squabbling an' get back teh yer stations." John called with a laugh from the helm of the ship.

"Aye captain!" The two young males saluted and then hurried to their stations.

"Thrusters ready for launch, _captain_." Rebecca answered from the control panel at the helm of the ship. She had caught on quickly to working the controls of the ship ever since the asteroid incident near Shikari.

John chuckled. "Fire Away, Miss Clarke."

"Aye." Rebecca activated the controls and launched the ship out of Port Hastings.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hurray for Whisperwings, who's been betaing all of these crazy chapters in this story with great finesse. Thank you!

**MG#6**


	36. Reflection

**Author's Note:**

Thanks Whisperwings, for betaing.

Rebecca had continued using her pocketbook to document the days exploring. But rather than writing it to her deceased family as a means of telling them of her adventures, she wrote letters to the one that she intended on giving it to…

* * *

_Day Fifty-Five, Search for The Black Arrow_

_Dear John,_

_We've been sailing for quite a while and it's been steady sailing, yet there's still no sight of Bones or The Black Arrow. We'll soon be making port on Kinapis for a short while (just so we're not so stir crazy, I suppose)._

_I still haven't the courage to tell you what happened the night after I buried my family. I imagine that the events will become evident in the near future. Why do I say this with such confidence? Well, because I-_

"Rebecca!" Jim called down the hallway; "we're going to land soon. John wants you at the ship's controls."

"Coming!" Rebecca called. She sighed, _'I can't even write it down…'_ She closed her pocket book once the ink had dried and made her way to the main deck.

* * *

Once the HMS Aurora had made port, John had given them permission to go wherever they pleased. Rebecca was about to speak with John when someone pulled her alongside them, leading them down the gangplank.

"So, Rebecca, I think we've got some shopping to do." Juanita said enthusiastically.

"Shopping?" Rebecca looked at the female Shikaran oddly, "for what?"

"For new clothes!" Juanita gestured to Rebecca's dress.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Look," Juanita began, still leading them through the port, "I know that you want to learn the sailing ways, since we're so short of people, but you're going to need some pants on to climb up those ratlines without people seeing up your skirts."

Rebecca blushed at Juanita's comment.

"Plus, maybe a bunch of baggy shirts, or a jacket of sorts." Juanita pointed out.

"Whatever for?" Rebecca asked.

Juanita stopped, faced Rebecca and looked at her quite seriously. "Rebecca, I know that there's something funny going on with you."

Rebecca was speechless, but Juanita quickly filled in the silence.

"You never feel well in the mornings," Juanita stated, "and I highly doubt it has anything to do with me and Jarred replacing that stupid pig cook who we left on Emery."

"Well, I suppose…" Rebecca paused to think of something, "I suppose I'm just going through some sort of flu…" Rebecca bit her bottom lip.

"What, did you catch it on Treaka and it's been with you this entire time?" The female Shikaran scoffed. "Any flu would've worn off by now, and I doubt that it's sailing nausea." Juanita grasped Rebecca's shoulders and looked the young woman deeply in the eyes. "Rebecca, are you pregnant?"

Rebecca responded with an elegant, "What?"

"That's what I figured." Juanita gave Rebecca a cheeky smirk. "Hence the need for baggy shirts or a jacket," the mercenary stated simply, "after all, there's really no telling how big you'll get." Juanita patted Rebecca affectionately on the stomach and then led the way to the closest clothing store.

The stunned look on Rebecca's face hadn't left as she stood in the middle of the crowded streets, blindly watching Juanita walk away. She wondered inwardly what John's reaction would be if he figured out the news. It was his child after all…

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Rebecca stepped out after trying on a variety of different outfits. She had to admit that wearing a pair of trousers was much more comfortable than wearing a dress, though she required a belt to hold up the trousers thanks to her smaller build.

"Very pirate-y." Juanita stated with a smile.

"Pirate-y?" Rebecca exclaimed. "What are you saying?"

"Well, to catch a pirate you need to be a pirate, so to speak." Juanita pointed out. She looked through a rack of belt accessories and picked out a small loop intended for a sheath. "Here." She tossed the loop into Rebecca's hands. "We'll go out and get you a sword in a moment."

"A sword?" Rebecca looked at Juanita, bewildered. "Why in the Etherium would I need a sword? Or any weapon for the matter?"

"Rebecca," Juanita started, "We're going after pirates and it's about time you learned to defend yourself." The female Shikaran smiled, "Don't worry, I'll teach you all that you need to know."

"Sure…" Rebecca said faintly. She attached the leather loop to her belt and moved it to her left hip. She sighed, turning to a floor-length mirror and looking at herself.

Juanita had picked out an ivory bell-sleeved shirt that hung loosely upon her and was tucked into her dark brown trousers. Rebecca had acquired a new pair of boots as her heeled boots were neither appropriate for her clothing nor her future intentions. Her raven-black hair was held back in a ponytail off of her face.

She could barely recognize the woman looking back at her in the mirror, but then…maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

* * *

An hour later, the two women were walking back towards the spaceport's docks, Rebecca wearing one of the two outfits she had purchased and carrying a sword at her hip.

"So…" Juanita walked at Rebecca's side through the crowded street. "I think it's safe to guess that the kid's John's –unless you _'met'_ someone at that ball you went to, which is highly unlikely- am I right?"

"Juanita." Rebecca sighed, frustrated to be confronted with her pregnancy. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Well, obviously it's going to present an issue in the near future." Juanita stated, "Better to think about it now before it's too late."

The female Shikaran sauntered off to the HMS Aurora, leaving Rebecca on the dock. The young woman sighed and followed the mercenary to the main deck, knowing that what Juanita had said was right.

The real question was how was she going to confront John about said issue without him calling off their pirate chase?

* * *

They had gotten straight back in the Etherium when Jim had picked up a lead on a week-old sighting of the Black Arrow from the locals. Juanita hadn't spared Rebecca much time to speak with John, already beginning the young woman's training in both sailing and swordsmanship.

The two women spent hours sparing with broom handles until Rebecca was too bruised to continue, then they called it a day.

Rebecca was tempted to get in her bed as soon as possible, but she had been assigned to a night watch to keep an eye on the stars while Henry was at the helm.

The young woman stood at the bow of the ship, leaning against the railing. Had it not been for the reoccurring ache every time her head drooped that woke her from her stupor, Rebecca would've surely fallen asleep on her feet.

A noise of skittered feet drew Rebecca's attention from her fatigue and she looked at the young arachnid standing beside her.

"Can't sleep?" Rebecca asked Scroop.

Scroop shook his head. "Too many dreams."

"Dreams?" Rebecca looked at the young arachnid oddly. "Of what?"

"They're just dreams…" Scroop sighed, remembering the strange seer he had met in a dream. Not all of his dreams would predict the future that was to come. But then he remembered the chaotic vision he had had before leaving Emery. Surely that was a sign of the events that had occurred at the Townsend-Clarke Estate.

Rebecca shrugged. "Some dreams –I find- are signs." She stated.

Scroop looked up at her quizzically, "For example?" He prodded.

"Well…" Rebecca thought back. "I'm not sure." She leaned against the railing and pondered. "I once had a dream, as a child, of a wild horse, rearing up and striking someone in the head before stomping on their collapsed body. It scared me then, but not truly until the next morning when I went down to my father's stables. I was by one of the newly broken-into horses, and it was spooked when a bat flew by its head, so it reared up and hit my brother –Denton- in the head. I quickly grabbed my brother and pulled him away from the horse, before it could step on him." Rebecca paused. "One would think it was quick thinking, but all I could think about -at the time- was that dream." She paused, allowing her racing heart to calm, and then she looked at Scroop. "So what are your dreams of, Scroop?" The young woman enquired.

Scroop sighed. "They're blurry."

"Blurry?"

Scroop leaned against the railing, only just reaching it, and looked out at the stars. "There aren't many details in the dreams, just… bits and pieces." He paused and pondered about what he had been seeing. "Screaming… Fire… Eyes."

"Eyes?" Rebecca looked at Scroop oddly.

"The colour of copper." Scroop stated.

Rebecca fell silent, thinking only of her family. Her pale green eyes filled with tears that she tried to force back. She cleared her throat. "Anything else?" She asked.

Scroop shook his head. The young arachnid could sense Rebecca's sadness and pried his mind for a means of comforting her or at least cheering her up. He sighed. "You know… my mother used to always tell me: we can't control everything that happens to us; we can only hope to be prepared for what'll happen and to trust our instincts that we'll just go with what we aren't prepared for." He looked up at Rebecca.

Rebecca smiled weakly and nodded. "I guess your mother was right, Scroop." She sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "There's no use wallowing in the past…" The young woman touched her stomach lightly and looked out into the Etherium. "I've got a future to think about."

There was a short silence between the two sailors. Rebecca felt exhaustion overcome her as she tried to keep her eyes on the stars. Scroop noticed this when Rebecca's head snapped back up in an attempt to remain alert.

"Perhaps you should get some sleep, Rebecca." The young arachnid suggested.

"You'll be fine out here, by yourself?" Rebecca asked.

"Henry's out here too…" Scroop stated, "Besides, you have twice the reason to get a good night's sleep."

"What?" Rebecca exclaimed, caught off guard.

"Captain Silver has you at the controls every day…" Scroop explained casually. "All our lives are in your hands, so to say."

"Oh, right, of course." Rebecca rubbed the back of her head. "Good Night, Scroop." The young woman made her way to her quarters. She couldn't help but touch her stomach. A voice in the back of her head stated that Scroop had likely meant what she had thought originally. The real question was if the rest of the crew could tell as well.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

So what's going to happen… who knows? (Well, I guess I do… sort of)

**MG#6**


	37. Amongst the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

Thank you Whisperwings, thou art awesome!

* * *

Rebecca woke up earlier than the rest of the crew, other than those who were at the helm or on watch duty, and made her way to the ship's galley. Her morning sickness hadn't yet kicked in and she was craving purps like there was no tomorrow.

The young woman knew that no one would be able to hear her in the galley as Jim had taken the cook's quarters rather than the first mate's quarters (which she occupied) and he was currently on watch with Henry and Martin. Even so, the young woman was careful as she entered the empty galley and soundlessly closed the door behind her. She tiptoed -for reasons beyond her- to the barrel of purps in the corner of the galley and looked into it. It was nearly empty.

_'Strange. I thought our stocks were filled last week.'_

Rebecca double-checked that there was no one around and leaned over the rim of the wooden barrel to grab one of the purps. Before she knew it, Rebecca tumbled head first into the purp barrel for the mere wanting of one of the violet fruits. She was glad she was wearing her trousers at this point in time and blushed at the thought.

Suffice to say that the purp barrel was hardly accommodating for a fully-grown woman, even as empty as it was, and Rebecca was having trouble getting her self out of it. She tried propping her arms against the sides of the barrel to no avail.

_'Great way to start off the day, just get yourself stuck in a purp barrel, Rebecca._'The young woman sighed to herself and contemplated shouting for help.

To her great alarm, Rebecca heard the creaking of the galley door as someone came inside. Her face quickly flushed crimson red from humiliation.

"What in blue blazes?" John's familiar voice came from the other side of the galley. "Is that yeh, Juanita?"

Rebecca would've smacked her forehead had she an adequate amount of space within the purp barrel. _'I_ _guess with my trousers on, I look like Juanita waist-down.'_ She thought.

Rebecca could hear John walk towards the purp barrel. She felt his hand on her hips as he hoisted her out of the barrel. Rebecca felt her face flare with heat.

John set down the young woman and then recognized her. "Rebecca?" The young man exclaimed. "What are yeh-?"

The young man was cut off when Rebecca spun around to face him and shoved a purp in his mouth, "Don't you ever tell anyone about this, John Silver!" Rebecca ordered, her pale green eyes livid and her face a bright red. "Understood?"

John smirked as he took a bite out of the purp and pulled the fruit from his mouth. "A little jumpy this morning aren't we, Miss Clarke?" He mused with a raised eyebrow.

Rebecca sighed. "Sorry, John." She leaned against a nearby counter, fiddling with the other purp in her hands. "You have no idea how uncomfortable a purp barrel is."

John's smirk widened and he shook his head. "I'll take your word for it."

Rebecca felt herself smile as she met John's eyes. There was a short pause between the two young adults before they broke out into warm laughter.

"Hey. What's all the commotion about?" Jarred asked groggily as he was dragged into the galley by Juanita to cook breakfast. Apparently he had just woken up.

Rebecca looked firmly at John, who paused before saying, "I'm afraid me lips are sealed, Jarred." He admitted.

Jarred rolled his eyes at this and began his work. Juanita simply raised an eyebrow at the couple and began assembling what she needed for the day's breakfast.

The female Shikaran walked over to the purp barrel and did a double take when she realized how empty it had become. "What in the Etherium?" Juanita exclaimed.

"What?" The males asked.

"Didn't we restock on purps last week?" Juanita enquired.

"We did." Rebecca stated.

Juanita looked back into the near-empty purp barrel. "Well, there's no way that we've been using this many purps in a week, this barrel could've lasted us a month!"

"Hmm… Someone's got to be behind the missing purps." Jarred pondered. "Any thoughts come to mind?"

There was a pause as the four sailors thought about what had happened since they had left the forested world of Zarnia. Rebecca's eyes were the first to light up with an idea.

"Well…" Rebecca furrowed her brow in thought. "I don't recall seeing much of Scroop since our launch from Zarnia."

"What are you suggesting?" Jarred enquired.

"Well," Rebecca shrugged. "Perhaps he's behind the missing purps, after all he has been eating much more during meals than he usually does."

"What?" Juanita exclaimed after safely retrieving a few purps. "You mean that little guy's responsible for emptying almost an entire barrel of purps in a week?" She looked at Rebecca in bewilderment. "He would've exploded!"

"Not exploded…" John thought aloud, stroking his chin, "but maybe, _grew_."

"What?" The two Shikarans and human exclaimed.

John sighed, "Arachnids shed their exoskeleton as they grow." He stated, "Usually once a year when their younger an' then once every five years –or so- when they're older."

"And he's eating us out of house and home, because?" Juanita looked at John.

"It's typical, really." Jarred cut in, "I remember when I was younger, I went through a dramatic growth spurt and couldn't seem to stop eating until I had fully grown." He stated, "Scroop's likely going through the same thing."

"Exactly." John added. "He'll probably skitter off into some dark corner when the actual shedding begins an' then we won't 'ave teh worry about our stocks for a while."

"Well then, let's hope that it's soon." Juanita chopped up some vegetables for the breakfast and poured them into a pot of boiling water. "Because we actually need something to eat."

* * *

Rebecca spent the rest of the day sparring with Martin and Juanita, improving her skill with a broom handle. She was still a little skittish about practising with her new sword, fearing that she'd be the one at risk rather than her instructors.

The young woman quickly went to bed, bruised and bloody-knuckled from her intense practising, without even the slightest thought of speaking to anyone. She was out like a light before she even knew it.

* * *

Rebecca awoke in darkness, hearing the smallest sob somewhere below her. She lit one of the solar lanterns at her bedside and checked under her bed. Nothing. Still the tiny cry was coming from one of the lower levels.

The young woman though about the layout of the ship's lower decks and what was under her quarters. The first level of the ship was the crews' quarters, the captain's room, her room, the galley and the cook's quarters. Below them was the ship's cargo hold and below that was the ship's brig and longboat storage room.

_'To the cargo hold.'_ Rebecca thought to herself as she pulled her thick night robe over her silky nightdress. She grabbed the solar lantern, dimmed the light by turning down its luminosity setting, and set out for the cargo's storage.

Rebecca stopped at her doorway and contemplated taking her sword with her. If they had a stowaway of some sort, they could be hostile, however Rebecca wasn't so confident in being able to handle her sword.

The young woman took her sword anyway, tucking it under her night robe, and left her quarters for the lower deck.

* * *

The ship's cargo hold was the coolest room in the vessel, as it was sheltered from the warm solar winds of the Etherium and had no portholes to let in starlight.

Rebecca listened closely as she dimmed the solar lantern. She reached for the hilt of her sword, to avoid being caught off her guard, when she heard the sound once more.

It was a muffled whimpering, like that of an animal in pain, or of someone trying to hide their cries.

Rebecca released her hold on her sword and proceeded cautiously towards the sound. She lifted the lantern above her head so that she could see more of the hold.

The young woman heard some scuffling and turned her attention to the farthest corner from her on the port side of the ship.

"Hello?" Rebecca called out. Her nerves were beginning to fail her as she tried to keep a steady hold on her solar lantern. She gripped the hilt of her sword so tightly that her knuckles had begun to turn white.

A pair of golden eyes shimmered eerily from the corner from the lantern light and Rebecca instantly felt relief.

"Scroop." She sighed, releasing her hold on her sword and walking towards the corner. "I was afraid that we had a stowaway." She squinted through the shadows of the dark cargo hold. "You should come on out."

"No." Scroop said quietly. "I can't…"

"Why not?" Rebecca asked.

"I can't show my face to them, not when I look like this." Scroop then fell silent.

Rebecca stepped around a group of crates and gasped at what she saw. The young arachnid's exoskeleton had what appeared to be an intricate web of cracks. Under the cracks, Rebecca could see crimson flesh pulsating, as it forced its way outwards.

Scroop looked up at Rebecca, his golden eyes conveying the helpless and vulnerable state he was in. He wrapped his pincers, which were also cracked up his arms, around his self and turned away in shame.

"Are you alright?" Rebecca knelt down beside the young arachnid, looking at him.

"I never grew this much when I was younger…" Scroop began. "I think it's because I was never properly cared for. I didn't really have someone to take care of me." He looked up at Rebecca, seeing that she had sat down on the floor and was listening attentively for more. He continued. "My mother was sold off on Los Terrano a year before I met you… and I never met my father." The young arachnid sighed. "My mother said that he escaped the slave caravan when they were on Winterchill… so she assumes that he died from the cold." Scroop gulped. "I was thinking of going out to find my mother when you released me, but I realized that I might not be able to find her… Los Terrano is far too vast."

"Is that why you decided to come with us?" Rebecca asked.

Scroop shook his head. "I saw a sign in a dream that I had before that… of you."

"Of me?" Rebecca looked at Scroop quizzically. "You had a dream of me?"

Scroop nodded. "You we staring up at the sky, with a… baby in your arms."

"A baby?" Rebecca was intrigued by what Scroop had seen. She paused for only a moment, instinctively touching her stomach. "What did the baby look like?" She asked.

"A girl…" Scroop thought for a moment, "with copper-brown eyes."

Rebecca was silent at this, thinking about her family and about the baby growing inside of her. Both of her hands went to her stomach. "Was there anyone else with me?"

"No." Scroop stated.

Rebecca looked away, pondering. She had been looking at the stars without anyone with her. Did that mean that she wouldn't live her happily ever after with John at her side? Did that mean something horrible was going to happen to him?

"John." Rebecca gasped under her breath. Her arm shot out and knocked over the solar lantern. Luckily it remained intact.

"What about him?" Scroop enquired.

Rebecca realized that Scroop had heard her unintentional outburst and she quickly picked up the solar lantern. "N- Nothing." She cleared her throat. "Just thinking aloud." She gave him a half-smile. "Are you certain that you're going to be alright?"

"I was wondering the same for you." Scroop looked up at Rebecca.

Rebecca half-laughed, "I'll be fine Scroop." She reassured. "I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine." Scroop winced as another crack formed along his arm and a chunk of ebony exoskeleton fell from his shoulder, exposing the crimson flesh. He looked up at Rebecca. "I just need a few nights' sleep." He stated.

"You're certain of this?" Rebecca asked, still obviously concerned.

"Yes." Scroop nodded. "Go ahead back to bed." He implored.

Rebecca chewed her bottom lip and nodded. She was still quite tired from all of the sparing with Juanita and Martin. The young woman made her way through the cargo hold to the entrance.

"Good night, Scroop." Rebecca called.

"Good night, Rebecca." Scroop replied.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, there's nothing like a bit of filler before another action sequence and such…

**MG#6**


	38. To the Beat of Clashing Swords

**Author's Note:**

(Hums the tune to the Batman theme song) Action! Action! Yeah!

* * *

"Rebecca, we've got less than a week until we arrive on Alpha Diego." Juanita began as she unsheathed her sword. "That sword isn't just for show, you know."

Rebecca bit her bottom lip. Juanita had a point -no pun intended- if they were going to go up against cutthroats that had handled swords since they could stand, she was going to have to get accustomed to using her sword. "What do you suggest?"

Juanita shrugged. "Just a short duel, to disarm your opponent." She stood by the mainmast and looked at the young woman.

"I'm not sure, Juanita." Rebecca nervously gripped the hilt of her sword.

"Come now, Rebecca." Juanita urged. "You've really gotten good, what with all that Martin and I have taught you. I'm sure you'll be fine handling a sword."

"I-" Rebecca searched for an excuse, stopped short and sighed. "All right, I'll try."

"That's the spirit, Rebecca." Juanita said, switching the grip on her sword so she was ready to duel.

Rebecca sighed, slowly unsheathing her sword. She looked down at the polished blade, seeing her emerald eyes staring back up at her and then looked up at Juanita.

"Ready?" Juanita asked.

Rebecca inhaled slowly and exhaled, readying herself as she had been taught. "Ready."

Juanita pounced towards Rebecca with a shout. Rebecca leapt out of the way, narrowly dodging Juanita's attack. Juanita swept her foot underneath Rebecca's causing the young woman to hit the deck. Juanita then kicked Rebecca's sword from her grasp, grabbed it and pointed both blades at Rebecca's throat.

"Hey…" Rebecca said through pants. "That's cheating." She shook her injured hand.

"We're going against pirates, Rebecca." Juanita said gravely. "To fight a pirate, you've got to play dirty." She flipped Rebecca's sword in her hand and held the hilt to Rebecca.

Rebecca took her sword and got to her feet, her hand was stiff from Juanita's kick.

"Again." Juanita said bluntly.

Rebecca inhaled, pulling the sword beside her face and charged. Juanita smirked, stepping aside and kicking Rebecca hard in the stomach. Rebecca was on her back again, the breath knocked from her lungs, but she managed to roll away from Juanita before she could get her hand kicked once more. Rebecca scrambled to her feet and pulled her sword in front of her, glaring at Juanita.

Juanita's smirk widened. "Better." She stated. "Again."

* * *

The two women duelled over the course of the day. Most of their companions, who weren't working the helm or sleeping, came to watch the sparring, offering tips to the inexperienced swordswoman. Still, with each duel, Rebecca ended up on her back and disarmed by Juanita's finest.

Rebecca groaned, picking herself up after yet another defeat. She was ready to turn in, her body bruised and battered, and her head spinning. The young woman looked up at Juanita, who had not a scratch on her and was still fully alert despite the gruelling hours of sparring.

_'I guess this is why she's the mercenary and I'm the one that hired her.'_

"Juanita, I'm exhausted." Rebecca groaned. "Can't we call it a day?"

"Rebecca." Juanita looked sternly at the young woman. "You've got to fight like a pirate." She implored. "To beat a pirate, you've got to think like one. Think: pirate."

The young human paused and looked down at her sword. She imagined a bloodthirsty cutthroat staring up at her and sighed. She couldn't think like a pirate. Being a pirate was the least of her wants. She closed her eyes as she remembered the ravaging of her home and the horrendous laughs of the pirates.

_'If I can't think like a pirate… I'll simply think about pirates.'_

Rebecca relived the memory, seeing the fearlessness of the pirates as they took on the innocent citizens. Her grip on her sword tightened as she remembered the petrified screams and the mansion crumbling around her.

The young woman opened her eyes and charged at Juanita with a shout. The Shikaran was slightly taken off guard, but smiled -as this was what she wanted- and parried the attack while leaping backwards. The swordswomen danced to the beat of their clashing swords, weaving around the main deck.

Juanita made a sweep for Rebecca's legs only to have Rebecca leap over her leg and come at her from behind. Juanita blocked the attack and leapt away from Rebecca.

Rebecca charged at Juanita. Juanita stepped aside and prepared to kick Rebecca in the gut. Rebecca caught Juanita's leg before it could hit her stomach and pulled it away from the railing, causing the female Shikaran to fall onto her side. Rebecca scurried forwards and kicked Juanita's sword from her reach, grabbed it and pointed both blades at Juanita's face.

The young human panted from the adrenaline rush as she looked down at Juanita. She took a lengthy breath and exhaled. "Now may I retire to bed?" She asked.

Juanita smiled. "Sure thing, Rebecca."

"Thank you." Rebecca sheathed her sword and pulled Juanita to her feet. She then handed the Shikaran her sword and made her way to her quarters.

* * *

Rebecca woke with a start after something bumped against her side of the ship, causing her to tumble out of her bed. Rebecca sat upright and looked around. There was nothing in her room to have pushed her out of bed. She concluded that it had to have been something hitting the ship's exterior.

The young woman got to her feet, pulled her thick light green robe over her silky nightdress and made her way to the main deck. The ship jostled lightly before Rebecca could reach the main deck, but she managed to stay on her feet.

When Rebecca finally stepped onto the main deck, she beheld a sight that she could've never imagined. Hundreds, if not thousands, of elegant Space Whales were migrating alongside the ship. The pod consisted of massive bull whales, their mates and their smaller baby whales, which kept to their mother's side.

Rebecca was speechless, watching the whales in silence just off the entrance into the lower decks until someone interrupted her quiet.

"Remarkable, aren't they?" It was Martin, perched on one of the lower solar sail booms on the starboard side. The squirrel humanoid looked out at the numerous pods of Space Whales and then returned to his watch.

"Yes, they are." Rebecca agreed, making her way to the bow of the ship, to get a closer look at the magnificent creatures.

Orcus Galactacus they were called. Rebecca recalled doing a bit of research on the gentle giants of the Etherium when she was younger. It had been outside the scholastic curriculum of her finishing school, and she remembered having to search the school's library for some credible source material. It turned out that most resource material regarding sailing activities could not be found within the halls of a private school for young girls (go figure). Rebecca had had to take a trip to the always-opened library in Towata in the wee hours of the morning -while the school's prefects were sleeping- in order to find what she wanted.

Rebecca sighed, leaning against the bow's railing. _'Those were the days…'_ She thought quietly to herself. _'When sneaking out at night to read books on pirates and creatures of the Etherium was the biggest risk I could ever take.'_ Rebecca smiled fondly at her memories. _'And I never did get caught once.'_

The young woman looked back at the elegant creatures and noticed a small baby whale come up alongside the bow of the ship. It looked up at Rebecca; it's light blue eyes wide with curiosity. Rebecca smiled softly to the baby whale.

"You should get back to your mother, before she worries about you." Rebecca instructed.

The baby whale glanced at a large female whale watching the ship close by, as if understanding what Rebecca had said.

"It's alright to go off exploring, every once in a while." Rebecca continued. "But don't you forget that she's somewhere, waiting for you and wanting to see you." The young woman smiled. "She'll always be with you, and love you, but what she wants most is for you to be safe and to see you." Rebecca paused. "All right?"

The baby whale made a small noise that seemed to agree with what Rebecca had said, and it darted to its mother's side. Rebecca couldn't help but smile.

"Didn't know we 'ad a Whale Whisperer aboard the ship." John said, coming up beside Rebecca and leaning against the bow's railing.

Rebecca shrugged. "I just said what came to mind." She stated.

"Aye, but truer words 'ave never been spoken teh a baby whale." John smirked.

Rebecca looked flatly at John. "I wasn't joking, John."

"An' did yeh think I was, lass?" John retorted, looking at Rebecca seriously.

Rebecca glanced back, raising an eyebrow.

John cleared his throat. "That was some impressive fighting yeh did against Juanita."

"Oh." Rebecca flushed red. "You saw that?"

"I 'ad the best seat in the house, Rebecca." John smiled broadly. "I think yeh'll 'ave those pirates running for the hills."

Rebecca looked out into the Etherium, thinking about what was to come. She looked down at her clasped hands. "Thanks."

There was a paused between the two young adults. John cleared his throat. "Now what exactly was it that yeh meant by what yeh said teh that whale, Rebecca?"

Rebecca sighed. "It's just-" She started, looking at him and then looked back at her hands. She considered how she was going to word her thoughts. "I know that it's not going to be like this forever, John."

"Go on." John said after a pause.

"Eventually," Rebecca chewed on her lip. "We're going to have to separate."

John was surprised at this. "What do yeh mean?"

Rebecca felt her stomach sink. "We…" Her hands balled up into fists. "We won't always be together, John."

"Don't say that, Rebecca." John placed a hand on Rebecca's shoulder.

"But it's true!" Rebecca exclaimed, her eyes filling up with tears. "What if something happens to you, John?" She looked at him. She shook her head. "And even if something doesn't happen, we'll have to separate when I go back!"

"Yeh don't 'ave teh go back, Rebecca." John stated. "We'll sail together, get away from all of that."

"No!" Rebecca shouted, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm tired of running away…" She paused to let out a sigh. "I can't-" She tried to form something understandable. "We have to separate, John."

John looked down at Rebecca; his coal-black eyes were swimming with confusion.

Rebecca sighed. "But when we do." Rebecca pushed the stray tears from her eyes. "I just want you to know that I'll always be with you…" She set her hands down upon John's and looked him in the eyes, "and I'll be waiting for you, hoping that you're safe."

John pulled his hands out from beneath Rebecca's, "No," he said shaking his head. He wrapped his arms around Rebecca and pulled her against him, "I will never leave yeh, Rebecca." He swore, holding onto her.

The young woman rested her head against John's chest, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek as tears slipped from her eyes.

Something within her heart betrayed the hope that everything would work out and that they'd simply all live happily ever after. Together. Something deep inside her knew that it wasn't going to be that way.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you Whisperwings for your fantastic betaing!

**MG#6**


	39. The Black Arrow

**Author's Note:**

I'd say that we're nearing the last few chapters of this prequel… we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

* * *

Their approach to the mining planet of Alpha Diego was done in silence. A thick cloud of space dust prevented them from charging towards the planet. They were all on the lookout for a possible ambush and the natural obstacles.

Each of them had at least a sword and a manual-firing laser pistol. Each member of Rebecca's escort was armed with their own particular array of weaponry. Henry had a proton rifle strapped to his back. Martin was armed with an extra sword and a dagger. Juanita had an extra laser pistol strapped to her hip. Jarred had a row of handheld grenades strapped to his belt.

John looked at the dagger in his free hand while the other gripped the wheel of the ship. It was an heirloom left with his ship that once belonged to both his father and his grandfather. The Silver coat of arms was emblazoned at the ebony hilt of the dagger and the blade was made of wrought silver.

_'This one's for yeh pap.'_ He sheathed the dagger and looked forwards, gripping the wheel with both hands and gently guiding the ship through the space dust.

* * *

Rebecca gripped the bow's railing tightly as she looked through the space dust. _'This is it.'_ She pondered to herself.

Her hand went to her stomach instinctively. She knew –without a doubt- that a child of three months was growing inside her. A sudden ferocity developed within her as her hand closed around the hilt of her sword. _'I'm not going to let Bones hurt anyone, anymore… and he certainly isn't taking this baby away from me.'_ She squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath, and walked to the helm of the ship.

John was at the wheel and Jim was at the ship's scanner. Rebecca walked to her position at the ship's controls and analyzed them.

_'It's quiet... too quiet.'_

* * *

There was a cataclysmic explosion of energy as a flaming ship cut through the mist and collided with the bow end of the HMS Aurora. Everyone fought to stay on his or her feet as John acted quickly to move the Aurora out of the path of the burning vessel.

"A merchant ship, no doubt." Martin stated once the Aurora steadied.

"This is Bones' doing." Henry growled. "It's a message for us." He paused as their ship veered away from the burning craft, which began to drift off into the Etherium. "_Dead men tell no tales_."

* * *

"Where is he?" Jim exclaimed, bashing his fists against the scanner in frustration. "If he has enough nerve to throw a ship at us, why isn't that old salamander showing his face?"

"Calm down, Jimbo." John reassured his younger brother. "He's out there…"

Jim growled. "Yeah, and he's about to face his worst nightmare yet... me."

John shook his head at his brother's uncharacteristic vengefulness and looked through the mist. "There it is…" He pointed at a gap in the mist, spotting the Black Arrow.

The infamous ship was hovering amongst the asteroids and space dust. The HMS Aurora came up alongside the pirate ship.

"Where is everyone?" Jarred asked, squinting at the vacant main deck of the vessel.

"Let's get a closer look." Juanita suggested.

John steered his family's ship closer to the darker ship so they could leap onto their enemy's main deck unscathed. Still, there was nothing. Their captain set his ship into hover mode and the group prepared to board the other ship.

The seven sailors leapt onto the main deck of the Black Arrow, swords drawn. They searched the bow of the deck, keeping close together, for any sign of the pirates.

* * *

Rebecca kept close to John's side, her eyes darted between the dust enshrouded deck and John. The young man wanted to comfort Rebecca somehow, but nothing short of heroic fantasies came to mind.

The young woman stepped around the mainmast and gave a yelp at what she saw. Martin and John hurried to Rebecca's side, expecting an ambush but gapped at what they saw.

_'Finnegan.'_ The dead rat creature was hanging from a solar sail boom by a noose, his eyes wide and his face in petrified terror.

"A mutiny?" John thought aloud.

"Perhaps the crew took up arms against their captain." Martin suggested.

"No." Rebecca said after a pause. "That can't be right…" She furrowed her brow in thought. "Finnegan took out one of his crewmembers when he made a mistake during the invasion. I think this was his punishment."

Rebecca looked past the hanged rat to see the eerily familiar bodies of a number of the pirates hanging off of solar sail booms.

"It appears that Bones wasn't just angry at Finnegan." Rebecca stated.

The only pirate that had escaped her mansion in the longboat who wasn't hanging by his neck was Romulus. Apparently he had evaded his captain's wrath.

"How foul!" Martin huffed.

"What's Bones playing at?" John asked. "Leaving his own ship unattended."

"John!" Jim called from the helm of the ship. "We've been tricked!"

"What?" John exclaimed.

"This place is rigged to explode on Bones' command," Jim stated, "There's already a longboat out of their docks."

"No." John gasped. "Everyone back teh the Aurora, on the double!"

The group turned towards the Aurora, only to see that the heirloom ship was drifting away. A pair of cackling pirates at the helm of the HMS Aurora confirmed that their ship had been stolen.

"No!" Rebecca exclaimed. She then heard hooting close by and turned on her heel.

A mass of armed pirates poured out of the lower decks, shouting and jeering at how easily their enemies had fallen into their trap. Though a handful of the pirates had been hung and a generous amount were missing –likely fallen on the merchant ship- the pirates were still an imposing force.

"Attack!" The first mate cawed, raising his sword into the air.

* * *

"Get back!" John exclaimed, plunging his sword into the gut of an oncoming pirate as he stepped between Rebecca and the pirates.

The young man fought off as many of the cutthroats at a time as he could. He sliced, stabbed and occasionally fired a shot from his slow-charging pistol.

Before a pirate could slice a new hole in John's head, the mongrel froze and fell off the blade of another's sword, revealing Martin. He smirked, "Mind if I cut in?" The squirrel humanoid darted to John's side and covered the young man from pirate attacks.

"Rebecca." John commanded. "Yeh 'ave gotta get up teh the helm an' help Jim shut down those explosives."

"What?" Rebecca exclaimed, looking at John.

"That sneaky bastard Bones is gonna blow us all outta the Etherium if yeh don't stop him." John said gravely. Rebecca could see the gravity of the situation within John's coal black eyes and knew that this could be her last time seeing him.

Rebecca nodded, grabbing John by the front of his jacket and pressing her lips against his. The kiss was over as quickly as it had been given and Rebecca darted through the crowds of fighting sailors.

* * *

Juanita held her ground against the pirates, but this was evidentially a losing fight. Unlike her last battle, these swordsmen were skilled in their fighting style and outnumbered her ten to one.

The female Shikaran backed up against the port railing of the ship only to be stopped in her tracks by the tip of a dagger. She looked up, seeing the feral canid –Romulus- holding onto a ratline and smiling maliciously down at her.

"Any last words?" He asked, readying his blade to kill the female Shikaran.

"Yeah!" Jarred's voice called from the portside of the helm. The male Shikaran sliced a rope at the railing, which sent a solar sail boom flying towards Romulus.

Juanita swiftly sliced the bottom ropes of the ratline as she shot at the pirates around her with her laser pistol. The solar sail boom caught Romulus in the stomach, catapulting him into the Etherium.

"Down boy." Jarred smirked, tossing a lit grenade into the crowd of pirates behind him before leaping onto the main deck to assist Juanita.

* * *

Rebecca finally sliced and stabbed her way through the throngs of cutthroats reaching the ship's helm.

"Come 'ere girly!" A brute charged at her wielding a sword.

Rebecca jumped up, grasping a ratline with her off hand, delivered a swift slice to the pirate's face. The pirate reeled back -his hands at his face- into another group of pirates.

Ignoring the shouting of warriors and clashing of blades, Rebecca sensed the graver danger that posed a threat to all of their lives and hurried up the stairs of the aft.

"Jim!" Rebecca shouted.

Jim was fighting off a jacket-clad pirate near the stern of the ship. He turned at the sound of Rebecca's voice and met her eyes a moment too long. His opponent ran his blade through Jim's stomach while Jim was caught unawares.

"No!" Rebecca screamed in horror, watching Jim tumble off the blade and hit the deck.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks, Whisperwings!

**MG#6**


	40. Blaring Alarms

**Author's Note:**

Oh wow… forty chapters! (So many)

More action? You got it!

* * *

The jacket-clad pirate captain fired a shot into the air, signalling to his crew before hurrying to the lower decks. The ship's alarms were activated.

"The ship's going down!" One of the pirates shouted. The pirate crew flooded to the lower decks while the rest of the honourable sailors remained on the main deck.

Rebecca hurried to Jim's side. "Jim!" She grabbed the young man's hand and looked into his amber eyes. "Stay with me, Jim, please!"

"Bones." Jim said while trying to catch his breath. "He's gonna take down the whole ship and everyone with it." He squeezed Rebecca's hand. "He's only got the one longboat for himself... You've gotta get outta here."

"I'm taking you with me, Jim." Rebecca squeezed back. "You're not leaving us."

Jim half-laughed half-gasped as he looked up into Rebecca's eyes. "Do you- think I would've been a good uncle, Rebecca?" He digressed.

Rebecca blinked. "You know?"

Jim nodded curtly, "I'm a little more observant than Johnny-Boy." He offered a weak smile. "Take care, would you, Rebecca." He gave Rebecca one last smile before his grip on her hand slackened.

"Jim…" Hot tears fell from Rebecca's eyes. Her companions –excluding John- rushed to the helm.

"Jim!" Juanita exclaimed, being the first to react to the aforementioned man's death. "Who did this? Where is that cutthroat?" She drew her sword. "I'll gut him from nostril to navel!"

"Juan, just calm down." Jarred set his hands down on Juanita's shoulders, looking sadly at Jim's body. "There's nothing we can do for him."

"But- he-" Juanita's voice broke as she held back tears and fell silent.

"What do we do now?" Martin asked through pants, his eyes darting from the blood soaked aft to his companions.

"Bones is taking down the ship." Henry shook his head gravely, his eyes closed. "There is nothing that we can do."

Rebecca glanced at the ship's scanner and noticed that there was only one longboat in the ship's hold. "Those pirates are going to be coming back up soon, when they see that Bones has beaten them to the escape."

"I can only imagine that they'll be quite angry." Martin stated, drawing his sword.

A silence followed, accompanied only by the ship's blaring alarms. It seemed that there was an understanding amongst the five companions that they were soon going to meet Jim's fate.

* * *

"What about John?" Rebecca exclaimed. She saw the loss for words in her companions' expressions as she stood up. "John! John? Where are you?" Rebecca called across the body-riddled deck.

The only answer was the ship's blaring alarms.

"He was right beside me before Bones sounded the alarms." Martin stated. "After that, I haven't a clue."

There was a deafening roar of the enraged pirates below their feet as Rebecca searched the main deck for John.

"The pirates are coming back!" Jarred exclaimed.

"John!" Rebecca blindly ran for the lower decks, ignorant of the approaching pirates.

"Rebecca!" Juanita shouted, making a move to go after the young woman.

* * *

Suddenly they heard the thrusters of an oncoming ship off the port side. The HMS Aurora haphazardly flew alongside the Black Arrow, colliding with the side of the ship as it came to a stop.

"Hop on!" Scroop called from the helm of the ship.

Two pirates were tied up in a web of ropes and ratlines off the portside of the ship. The young arachnid looked to have grown twice his height, judging how he sized up to the wheel of the ship, and his exoskeleton was back to its normal colour.

Martin laughed aloud. "Nice job, kid!" He scurried up the ship, followed by Henry.

Jarred walked to Jim's body and hoisted it over his shoulder, his expression hardened from sadness. The male Shikaran then handed Jim's body up to the main deck, before climbing up.

"Come on, we've gotta get outta here!" Martin shouted.

"Rebecca, come on!" Juanita urged.

Their ship suddenly booted up -preparing to launch- as Scroop shoved Juanita back onto the main deck of the HMS Aurora and leapt onto the main deck of the Black Arrow.

"Two minutes." Scroop stated curtly, "Don't follow me." The arachnid hurried to the lower decks.

* * *

"John! Where are you?" Rebecca called.

"Rebecca?" A familiar voice came from a hallway nearby. Rebecca ran towards John's voice. "What in blue blazes are yeh doin' 'ere?" John exclaimed.

"John!" Rebecca ran into the young man's arms.

"We're far from safe, Rebecca." John stated. "We've gotta find a way outta 'ere."

"There is none." Rebecca looked into John's eyes. "I just needed to find you."

John looked down into the young woman's eyes, sensing her hopelessness. He sighed, "I suppose this is possibly the worst time teh tell yeh that I love yeh, Rebecca." He said sincerely.

Rebecca gave him a watery smile. "I love you too, John."

* * *

"John! Rebecca!" Scroop called from the end of the hallway. "We don't have much time, come on!" He gestured to the upper decks.

"Scroop?"

The young adults followed the arachnid to the upper decks, taken off guard by the sudden appearance of the HMS Aurora.

"We can't delay this any longer; the Black Arrow's going to explode and we've got to get as far from it as we can!" Martin called over the blaring alarms and humming of the HMS Aurora's thrusters.

"We're about to launch!" Henry called from the helm of the ship.

"Come on!" Scroop urged, climbing up onto the main deck of the Aurora. John followed and offered his hand out to Rebecca, who climbed up onto the railing of the Black Arrow.

Rebecca reached for John's hand when suddenly a snake-man slithered up behind her and grabbed her by the back of her jacket.

"No!" She screamed, falling to the deck of the pirate ship.

"Get off her!" John snarled, leaping off the Aurora to tackle the snake-man, his family's dagger in his hand.

Rebecca scrambled to her feet and hurried up the side of the Aurora. "John!" She shouted as the HMS Aurora began to power up for its launch. She reached out to the young man.

The HMS Aurora launched from the side of the Black Arrow. The force of the launch sent Rebecca back-first onto the deck. She scrambled to her feet and hurried to the stern of the ship, watching as the Black Arrow began to shrink on the horizon.

"JOHN!" She screamed as the Black Arrow was torn to pieces by a colossal explosion.

The HMS Aurora shuddered from the aftershock of the explosion, before finally slowing to a stop. All that remained of the infamous Black Arrow was rubble and fire.

"No!" Rebecca fell to her knees. "John…" She sobbed into her hands.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you very much, Whisperwings!

**MG#6**


	41. Xylos 20

**Author's Note:**

Thanks Whisperwings, you're the kind of awesome that we all want to be!

* * *

_'First my family and my home, then Jim, now John…'_ Rebecca looked emptily at the charred rubble as they weaved within the ruins of the Black Arrow in one of their ship's longboats. _'Of all the things that life had to take from me… why John?'_ The young woman held back her tears as she balled her hands into fists. _'Is there nothing left?' _She sighed and looked down at her stomach. _'Well…'_ She set a hand down on her abdomen, _'Almost nothing…'_

Scroop, Henry and Martin decided to accompany Rebecca on this excursion to see if there was anything that they could salvage from the destroyed pirate ship. Juanita and Jarred chose to stay behind on the HMS Aurora to begin the necessary repairs.

Scroop spotted something small off the bow of the longboat, reaching over the edge of the boat to grab it. He looked it over, sitting down in the longboat.

"What is it?" Henry asked, piloting the longboat.

"John's dagger." Scroop replied.

Rebecca looked at Scroop, holding back tears. Scroop handed Rebecca John's dagger. Rebecca squeezed the hilt and looked back up at the dust-enshrouded ruins as they crept along.

"What's that?" Martin pointed at something off the starboard bow.

They followed his pointed finger to see a black mass crumpled up against a piece of charred lumber. Henry guided the longboat alongside the ship's remains and cut the engine.

Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the black mass was in fact a body lying on its right side facing away from them. Rebecca cautiously leaned over the edge of the longboat, grabbing the left shoulder of the person and rolling the body over so it faced up.

She drew back with a gasp upon recognizing the half-charred face of the young man. "John…"

"Wait!" Scroop cut in before Rebecca had a chance to start mourning for the loss of another friend. "Look, he's breathing." Scroop pointed at their captain, noting that his chest was indeed moving.

"He- he's alive?" Rebecca stammered, both surprised and relieved.

Other than his life, the ship's explosion had spared little for the young man. It was evident that John was badly injured. His entire right side was charred -both the clothing and flesh- and he still remained unconscious.

"We've got to get him back!" Rebecca stated, "We've got to help him."

Scroop reached out of the longboat and pulled John off of the piece of lumber. With Henry and Martin's assistance, John was carefully laid in the longboat. Rebecca quickly grasped John's uninjured hand and looked down at his face.

"It's truly a miracle he's alive." Martin stated as Henry began to guide their longboat back towards the HMS Aurora.

Rebecca mutely nodded, watching John's steady breaths as he lay before her as if in peaceful slumber. She thought about all they had gone through and all that was still yet to come. She thought of the people they had met, the battles they had fought and the moments that they had shared. Rebecca knew that she didn't want this to end, so she wasn't going to give up now.

_'I'm not giving up on you, John…'_ She looked down at John's half-charred face. _'Please, don't give up on me.'_

* * *

Rebecca sat in John's room at the aforementioned man's bedside, watching the young man for any sign of movement other than the sleep-like state he was in. Henry had chartered a course to the nearest medical facility, being on the moon Xylos 20, while everyone else manned the ship.

The young woman tried to sort out the mixed emotions she was encountering over the last few hours. It was a mix between the grief of losing Jim, the hope –for John's sake- that they'd make it to Xylos 20 before his injuries became life threatening, and the anger at Billy Bones for taking Jim's life -and almost taking John's life- by betraying his crew.

'Was it even worth going to all this trouble to find Bones, only to have him slip out of our grasps again?' Rebecca pondered. She looked out the stern windows of John's quarters, noticing that the night had taken over the Etherium.

Mantabirds swooped by the windows in flocks, indicating that they were nearing their destination (as these creatures of the Etherium were common to spaceports).

Rebecca inhaled slowly. "We're almost there." She spoke more to her self than the unconscious man before her. She stood up from her seat, glancing at John's slumbering form once before heading to the main deck.

* * *

The HMS Aurora was guided to the moon's medical facility as soon as they arrived in the spaceport. Rebecca began immediate arrangements for John's care as the aforementioned man was transported to the facility. The doctors also took Jim's body to begin preservation operations upon him, so he wouldn't endanger any of the sailors' lives and would be fit for transportation to his home planet. The two pirates that Scroop had managed to trap were taken into custody. The HMS Aurora underwent massive mechanical repairs from the damage caused by the flaming merchant ship and the explosion of the Black Arrow. Rebecca paid for everything, down to the last penny, without questioning.

The rest of the crew stayed at the medical facility to wait out the length of time that the two brothers would undergo their operations, as there was little else to do on the small moon colony.

* * *

"Miss." A robotic nurse addressed Juanita, who was sitting outside of one of the operation rooms.

"Yes." The female Shikaran snapped out of her stupor.

"I noticed that you have some injuries," the robotic nurse stated, "I can retrieve one of our surgeons to attend to you."

"That won't be necessary," Jarred cut in before Juanita could answer. "I can attend to Juanita's injuries myself." He stated, "We wouldn't want to take away any time from your surgeons."

The robot nurse nodded and went to retrieve some supplies for the male Shikaran while Juanita looked at Jarred oddly.

"What?" Jarred demanded.

"You totally just took control of that situation." Juanita remarked.

"Yeah, well…" Jarred rubbed the back of his neck, "it was necessary." He flushed to a dark blue.

Juanita repressed a laugh as the robotic nurse returned with the necessary materials. Jarred thanked the android and knelt down beside Juanita, unpacking the medical supplies.

"You know, you've changed quite a bit, 'Red." Juanita stated.

"Why do you say that?" Jarred asked.

"Well -for starters- you're talking to me." Juanita began.

"I talked to you plenty of times over the years that we've worked together." Jarred retorted.

Juanita scoffed. "Not nearly as much as you do now."

"Well…" Jarred shrugged. "That's because before, I didn't know _how_ to talk to you." He quickly cleared his throat, "so… where does it hurt?"

Juanita rolled her eyes, "my shoulder. Give me a second." She began unlacing her vest, slipped it off and loosened her shirt so the hole intended for the wearer's head fell off of her injured shoulder. The resulting adjustment had Juanita's bell-sleeved shirt dangerously close to falling off of her other shoulder and revealing more of herself to the now-blushing Jarred.

Jarred turned his attention to Juanita's shoulder, which he could see had sustained a rather deep cut, likely from the battle on the Black Arrow. "You should've told me about this before." He remarked; pouring a formula of grounded yuppi pits dissolved in water onto a cloth. "You know, I could've healed it so it wouldn't show a scar…"

Juanita huffed, putting weight on the arm with her injured shoulder. "Another scar means little in our profession, 'Red."

Jarred shrugged. "Well _this_ part would've been less painful." He pressed the tonic-soaked cloth to Juanita's cut.

"Ah!" Juanita hissed through her teeth from the pain, grabbing the front of Jarred's shirt with her free hand. "Would it kill you to be gentle?" She demanded, pulling his face close to hers.

"I told you it would hurt!" Jarred retorted.

Juanita narrowed her eyes, releasing her hold on Jarred's shirt and looking away while he attended to her injury.

Jarred sighed, trying to be gentler as he cleaned out his companion's cut. He pressed a fresh piece of gauze against it and began wrapping.

Juanita glanced back at Jarred, noticing how intense his expression had become as he focused on his task. She often noticed this happened whenever he was repairing something and hadn't yet become aware of her spying. Juanita always wondered what a nice guy like Jarred was doing in the mercenary business, even if he was a misfit… like she was.

"There, done." Jarred stated, tying off the bandage and breaking Juanita from her thoughts. She looked in Jarred's eyes, remarking the inquisitive but youthful nature within their bright green depths. "Juanita?" Jarred's voice broke through.

The female Shikaran leaned forwards, tenderly joining lips with Jarred. The male Shikaran was stunned at Juanita's forwardness, dropping the cloth he had used to clean her cut. Juanita pulled away, waiting for Jarred's response.

"So…" Jarred cleared his throat, his face the darkest blue possible. "Is- is there anything _else_ that hurts?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well that finally happened. Now let's see what'll happen next!

**MG#6**


	42. The Cyborg

**Author's Note:**

So, let's see some stuff happen! (Gee, don't go into so much detail, bub…)

* * *

"Lady Clarke?" A robotic surgeon came out of the operation room.

"Yes?" Rebecca looked up from her hands. She had had very little sleep since John was sent in to the operation room to be treated for his injuries.

"Mister Silver is in a stable condition, but..." The robot seemed uneasy of how to break the news to her, which was unusual for an unfeeling robot. "…But because of the injuries that Mister Silver sustained, we've had to amputate his useless limbs and install mechanical replacements."

"Oh." Rebecca was shocked by this news and bit her lip, "So he's… a cyborg now."

The doctor replied with a nod.

"But…" Rebecca bit back tears. "But he's going to be all right, isn't he?"

"Yes milady," the surgeon stated. "Mister Silver's body has adapted well to accompany his mechanized body parts and he will be well enough to sail within the week." The robot paused. "It may take him a while to get used to the additional hardware, but you'll find that he'll be able to function as well as –if not better than- any other sailor." The surgeon gestured to the operation room. "We've stabilized him enough that he can sustain visitors, but only one at a time, please."

"I see…" Rebecca sighed with relief. "Thank you, doctor."

The robot nodded in acknowledgement and left the young woman and her companions to attend to another patient.

Rebecca looked up at her companions, being Martin and Henry. Juanita and Jarred were elsewhere and Scroop was having his exoskeleton examined to determine if he had grown properly for his age.

"Go ahead Miss Rebecca." Martin urged.

"We're just about to retire for the evening." Henry assured.

Rebecca mutely nodded, standing from her chair and entering the room. She braced herself for was she was about to witness.

* * *

Rebecca looked into the operating room. John lay on a hovering gurney in the middle of the room, the right half of his body covered by a white sheet and a sling suspending his covered arm. Rebecca slowly approached John's right side and reached forwards, grasping the sheet. John stirred a bit, but soon resumed his slumber. Rebecca paused and slowly pulled off the white cloth.

Her pale green eyes widened and she dropped the sheet to the floor when she looked upon John. His right side now accommodated a mechanized leg and arm where their organic versions used to be. John had an array of whirling gadgets installed into the right side of his face where his ear used to be and it appeared that he also had a mechanical eye.

Rebecca held back tears as she sank into the nearest chair, looking at her beloved friend in shock. _'It's my fault that this happened to you, John.'_ The reality of what had happened to John sunk in and a tear slipped from her eye as she struggled to hold back her sobs.

"I'm so sorry." Rebecca cried into her hands, unable to look at John any longer.

John groaned lightly. "R- Rebecca?" He whispered.

Rebecca leapt to her feet, hurrying to John's left side and clasping John's hand. "I'm here John." More tears fell from Rebecca's eyes. "I'm here."

John moaned gently. His mechanical arm hung in a brace alongside the bed because of its substantial size. "What happened teh me?" He looked up at Rebecca with his good eye.

Rebecca pulled a chair up to the left side of John's bed and sat down. "Bones tried to kill us all." She gently stroked the back of John's hand. "It's a miracle that you survived."

John gave Rebecca a half-laugh. "Well, 'alf of me survived." He moved the fingers of his mechanical arm experimentally.

Rebecca was silent at this, overcome by guilt. John strained against the weight of his mechanical limbs to sit up and finally gave up, glancing at Rebecca. This didn't help Rebecca's guilt and fresh tears sprouted from her eyes.

"Rebecca." John said softly. The tenderness of John's voice granted a sob from Rebecca, who buried her face into John's chest and began crying.

"I'm so sorry, John…" She wept, her voice muffled in the folds of John's shirt. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you. There's no way in the Etherium that you deserved this… all of this is my fault."

John was speechless. He looked at Rebecca, slowing becoming accustomed to just looking through his mechanical eye. It analyzed everything in the operation room, from the discarded sheet upon the ground to the machines that he was hooked up to.

The young man wiggled the fingers of his mechanical hand and rolled his shoulder, watching as the arm moved accordingly. The mechanical arm wasn't as heavy as it size suggested and John slowly lifted it out of the brace.

Rebecca stopped crying and looked up from John's chest at what the young man was doing. John was completely focused on controlling his arm. A red beam shot out from his eye, scanning his mechanical arm as he set it down beside him on the hovering gurney.

John glanced at Rebecca, his mechanical eye accordingly scanning her wide-eyed expression. He blinked and looked away, the red beam now turned off.

"How did you do that?" Rebecca asked.

"I just…" John lifted his mechanical hand up and stared at it, the red beam shot out from his eye, analyzing its contours, "focused." He blinked and looked back at Rebecca, resting his mechanical hand at his side.

Rebecca wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks. "You must be exhausted from the operation, John. I should leave…" She stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Rebecca…" John called weakly. The young woman turned around and looked at John with concern. John cleared his throat. "Thank yeh," he paused, "for coming back for me."

Rebecca gave John a weak smile. "I wasn't about to leave you out there, John." She opened the door and returned to the vacant hallway of the infirmary.

Tears welled up in Rebecca's eyes as she tried to hold back her sobs. She didn't want John to hear her cry again, but the look of helplessness that he had on his face was almost enough to bring her to her knees.

_'Why did such a horrible thing have to happen to him?'_

Rebecca closed the door behind her and sank against the wall, fresh tears falling from her eyes as she balled her fists up. It took all of her willpower to hold back her sobs.

_'To have to go through so much pain…'_ The young woman didn't want to even imagine the operations John had to have gone through.

"Rebecca?" A familiar voice came from her side.

The young woman looked up at the young arachnid, who had a bandage wrapped around his right upper arm. "Scroop, what happened?" She asked.

Scroop glanced at the bandage indifferently and shrugged. "One of the pirates shot me with a pistol when they commandeered our ship. Apparently my exoskeleton hadn't fully hardened, so it left a mark."

Rebecca looked up at Scroop. "I never did properly thank you for saving us all." She gave him a half-smile. "Without you, there's no way we'd all be living."

"But we aren't all living." Scroop stated, looking down the hall.

Rebecca bit her lower lip. Down that hallway was where Jim's body was being stored for the time being. Her hand balled up into a fist. "I- I shouldn't have called out to him."

"What?" Scroop looked back at Rebecca, noticing that more tears had formed in her eyes.

A tear escaped Rebecca's right eye as she sniffled. "If I didn't call out to Jim when he was fighting Bones, then he wouldn't have turned away and been stabbed." Rebecca wiped away the tear. "Then he would've been standing here with us." Her voice hitched as she tried to control her sobs, more tears following. "It's my fault he's dead... and that Giles is dead. If it wasn't for me, then my family wouldn't have been killed and John wouldn't be so badly injured." She furrowed her brow as she tried to keep her composure. "None of this would've ever happened if it hadn't been for me."

After a moment's pause, Scroop stepped forwards, leaning down to Rebecca and offering a pincer out to her. "Come with me, Rebecca." He stated.

Rebecca looked up at Scroop, her watery eyes wide with confusion. Scroop rolled his golden eyes and lightly picked up the young woman in his arms as if she were made of feathers. Rebecca was shocked at Scroop's feat of strength, considering his age, and instinctively wrapped her arms around his torso.

Scroop walked with Rebecca in his arms, down the polished hallways, to an atrium in the centre of the hospital. He set Rebecca down on her feet as she examined the atrium.

The roof of the atrium was made of glass, allowing the stars' light to flood inside against a silver fountain at its centre. In the fountain there was a polished marble statue of a robed angel releasing a crystal Mantabird towards the heavens with shimmering water bubbling at her feet. On a bronze plaque at the fountain's base was the word 'Hope' engraved.

"They're in a better place, Rebecca." Scroop stated.

Rebecca looked back at Scroop, speechless. She offered him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Scroop." She said. "For everything."

Scroop shrugged. "You saved me from certain death, Rebecca, I'm just returning the favour."

Rebecca set a hand down on her stomach. She let out a short gasp as she felt an unexpected pain. Her eyes widened as she drew her hand away. _'There's no way that the baby's coming… it's far too early!'_ She felt the pain well up in her chest.

Scroop noticed Rebecca's forlorn expression. "Rebecca?"

Rebecca's breathing increased as a panic began to build. She suddenly sat down on one of the stones at the fountain's base, one hand at her chest and the other shaking as it tried to support her body's weight._ 'I don't want to lose this baby; I don't want anything else taken from me, please!'_

Scroop hurried to Rebecca's side, noting an unusual paleness to Rebecca's face, as he set his pincers on her shoulders. "Rebecca, look at me."

Rebecca's eyes darted up to Scroop's. The young arachnid could see the fear in them as well as a failure of knowing what to do. Her lower lips quivered as she looked away.

"Rebecca, what's wrong?" Scroop demanded, trying to keep Rebecca alert.

"I-" Rebecca's eyes filled with tears. "My- my baby…" She shook her head as tears escaped her eyes. "It hurts."

Scroop nodded curtly, understanding the dilemma that Rebecca was going through. He spotted a mechanical nurse roving the atrium from the corner of his eye. "You." The robotic nurse chirruped in response. "Come here." He ordered the android.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you, Whisperwings… and you guys (the readers), who I appreciate for reading this far in the series. (Bows)

**MG#6**


	43. The Toque

**Author's Note:**

Ooh… some additional drama? Maybe.

* * *

Rebecca was immediately brought to a doctor to be tested for a variety of pregnancy-related aliments. Scoop was confused by what the doctor was saying –as he was no female- but remained with Rebecca to support her and to ease her anxiety. He understood that it wasn't just Rebecca's baby that was causing her some much pain but it was evident that there were many injuries –likely from battling pirates- that had gone untreated over the past few days. Scroop could only stay at Rebecca's side and try to calm her down in the midst of the chaos.

The night was beginning to turn into morning on Xylos 20, yet the doctor hadn't reported back with a diagnosis. Scroop did his best to remain alert, for Rebecca's sake, but he was still exhausted from enduring his substantial growth spurt.

Juanita opened the door to Rebecca's room, looking from the sleep-deprived arachnid to the anxious woman.

"I heard that you were sent here." Juanita pulled up a chair alongside Rebecca's bed and looked at Rebecca with concern. "What's going on, Rebecca?"

Rebecca shook her head. "The doctor doesn't know yet."

"Does it have something to do with the baby?" Juanita offered.

"It would seem so." Rebecca shrugged. "I can't say that I know for sure."

Juanita gave a brief side-glance to Scroop before continuing. "Rebecca… I- I don't know how to say this, but… do you think that it could've been something that _I_ did?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Rebecca enquired, sitting up in her bed.

"Well." Juanita rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, all those weeks of training you for fighting against pirates, do you think that it might have upset the baby?"

Rebecca paused, thinking back to the swordsmanship training that Juanita and Martin had provided for her. It had been quite vigorous, but she hadn't taken into account the well being of her unborn baby while she was training.

Seeing that Rebecca hadn't yet answered Juanita sighed, "That's what I thought… particularly…" she chewed her bottom lip, "…particularly after I kicked you in the stomach." The Shikaran allowed a moment's pause, but there was still no answer from the injured woman. "Look, Rebecca, I… I wasn't thinking! I'm really sorry." She hung her head in shame. "Show's how useless of a mercenary I am."

"No." Rebecca finally spoke after a pause. Juanita looked up. "If you hadn't trained me as you did, Juanita, there's no way that I'd be alive right now." She let out a long sigh. "I don't blame you for this." Her fingers couldn't help but graze her stomach.

There was a light tapping at the door, drawing the attention of the three sailors.

"Lady Clarke." The robot glanced between Juanita and Scroop before looking at Rebecca, "Your abdominal scans are completed."

Rebecca nodded. "What's your conclusion?"

The robot entered the room, pausing before he could continue. "I regret to inform you that you have lost one of your babies, Lady Clarke."

"One of my babies?" Rebecca looked at her stomach in shock.

"Yes." The robot stated, "You _were_ expecting twins, however the scans suggest that an impact to the foetus upset one of the babies' growths."

Rebecca blinked. "I- I was expecting twins?" She lightly touched her stomach, "I never knew…" She stated forlornly.

"It's difficult to tell without proper scanning during the earlier stages of pregnancy." The doctor stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "However, rest assure that despite losing one of the foetuses, the other appears healthy and has sustained no visible damage." He glanced at Rebecca's companions once more before leaving the room.

After a lengthy pause Juanita sighed. "Well, it could've been worse." She stated.

Scroop gave the female Shikaran a heated glare before looking at Rebecca, who remained silent. "You should get some sleep, Rebecca. You need time to heal."

Rebecca mutely nodded, understanding that there weren't just physical injuries that she had to heal. Juanita caught on to what Scroop was implying and stood up, a look of shame on her face.

"Um… sleep tight?" Juanita offered. Scroop simply rolled his eyes and dragged the female mercenary out of Rebecca's room by her left forearm.

* * *

It had been days since Billy Bones had abandoned his crew and blew the Black Arrow to kingdom come. Since then, Rebecca had been trying to cope with all that had happened.

Jim's body was prepped for travel and the rest of the injuries that her companions had sustained were healed. The repairs to the HMS Aurora were completed and the ship was travel worthy. They were just waiting for John to become accustomed to his new mechanical additions so they could begin the voyage back to Romano. Rebecca's injuries had healed but she was still bedridden from lack of sleep.

Rebecca curled up in a ball as she tried to get some rest. She felt so alone in the sterile hospital room. The cold, metallic colours of the room constantly drew Rebecca's mind to John. She hadn't seen him since before her abdominal scans. Inwardly she had an intense longing to see him, but was uncertain if she could handle seeing his helplessness once more. He had always been so confident in his self, always prepared to lend a helping hand where it was needed, listen to what she had to say and ready with words wise beyond his years.

The young woman pressed her cheek against her pillow and sighed. _'Now… he's changed.'_ She thought darkly.

She mentally digressed while curling up in a tighter ball, as if protecting the child growing inside her. _'I need to be more careful. I'm lucky enough that this baby survived everything I've been through. Juanita was right; it could have been much worse.'_

The door to Rebecca's room creaked open as someone entered. Rebecca glanced up from her pillow and suppressed a gasp. At first she didn't recognize the form, but she soon took into account the new mechanized limbs and felt tears rush to her eyes.

"John." She smiled.

Even in the dimness of the room Rebecca knew that John was smiling back as he made his way to Rebecca's bedside. His mechanical arm had shifted into a crutch to aid him with walking. He took the chair closest to Rebecca and settled himself in it. He then set his warm, organic hand on Rebecca's hands.

Rebecca sat up, slipping her hands from under John's, and she pulled John into the tightest hug she could muster, given her smaller stature.

"Happy teh see yeh as well, Rebecca." John chuckled, wrapping his non-mechanized arm around Rebecca and holding her against him.

She buried her face into his shoulder, refusing to release her hold on him. John didn't seem to mind. "I've been so worried about you." Rebecca stated.

John looked at Rebecca with concern. "Well what's this I hear 'bout yeh not getting a wink of sleep, Rebecca?"

Rebecca released her hold and looked at John. "How did you know?"

"I'm the captain, Rebecca, I get told everything." John assured.

"So…" Rebecca looked away, "so, you know."

John nodded gravely. "I can't believe it." He sighed.

"John," Rebecca bit her lower lip, "I wanted to tell you earlier."

"It's all right, Rebecca," John assured. "I can see why yeh couldn't tell me, an' I understand."

"You do?" Rebecca asked.

John nodded. "I know that it would've been hard teh break the news teh me… but I know now," he sighed. "Jimbo's in a better place."

Rebecca was taken off guard. It was obvious that she and John were talking about two separate things.

John persisted. "That devil Billy Bones will pay for all that he's done teh us, I swear on me life that he doesn't see the light of another day without fearing that I'm hot on his slimy tail." Rebecca could see the iris of John's mechanical eye changing from amber to a deadly red. She could hear his mechanical hand tense into a fist as he continued. "I'll take the dearest thing from him so he'll know exactly what it is teh feel like this."

Rebecca was beginning to feel nervous around John, something that she had never felt before. John had always been a loving man and she felt safe when she was around him, but now she could see a terrible, uncharacteristic rage developing within him.

John calmed himself down and looked tenderly at Rebecca. "But first." He reached forwards and clasped one of Rebecca's hands. "I've gotta bring Jimbo home."

Rebecca mutely nodded; trying to conceal her disappointment that John didn't know she was pregnant as well as trying to hide the unusual fear she was having of him. Was it the inhumanness of his mechanical additions that she was afraid of, or was she afraid that the parts had somehow changed the John that she knew?

* * *

A few days later, everyone was prepared to start the return to Romano. Their ship was stocked and ready to go while their small crew tied off the last loose ends of their businesses on Xylos 20.

Rebecca stood at the foot of the gangplank leading onto the HMS Aurora with a small parcel in her hands. She had a feeling of returning home as she made her way up to the main deck, having missed the warmth of being on the HMS Aurora over the past week.

"Good to be back, isn't it Rebecca?" Juanita asked as she scaled a ratline.

Rebecca smiled warmly. "More than ever..." She agreed. The young woman looked around, the smile never melting from her face. To Rebecca, being back on the HMS Aurora –even after only a week's absence- was like seeing an old friend.

The young woman heard the distinct skittering of Scroop's approach and turned around, smiling at him. The young arachnid gave her a bit of an odd look, but seemed pleased that she was in a good mood.

"I'm assuming that you're feeling better, Rebecca?" Scroop stated.

Despite Scroop's rhetorical statement, Rebecca answered happily. "I'm feeling much better, Scroop." She looked at the parcel in her hands. "And… I got you something." She held the parcel out to him.

"For me?" Scroop asked quizzically. Rebecca simply nodded. Scroop sliced the twine that held the parcel together and carefully unwrapped the brown paper. Something soft fell into his pincers and he looked down at it. Upon further examination, it was revealed to be a light brown toque.

"I got it a bit bigger than is needed, seeing as you are still growing." Rebecca stated. She cleared her throat. "It's just a token of my gratitude, for all that you've done for us, Scroop." She smiled.

Scroop looked at Rebecca, his golden eyes seemed brighter, as if they were shimmering... could those be tears? "No one has _ever_ gotten me _anything_ before." He stated softly. The young arachnid leaned forwards and pulled Rebecca into a hug.

Rebecca was surprised by this gesture, but it touched her heart more than anything.

The embrace was over as quickly as it began. Scroop pulled the toque on and gathered up the discarded paper and twine. "I'd best be back to my duties." He stated. There was a suggestion of a smile at the corners of his mouth, as he turned away.

Rebecca nodded, the bright smile never leaving her face.

"I suppose that yeh can't judge a book by its cover after all." A familiar voice stated behind Rebecca.

The young woman turned, still smiling, and looked at John. His smile seemed to lighten up the whole ship. Seeing that he was happy to return to his family's ship made her happier. This was the John that she remembered.

"I think it's high time teh chart a course back home." John stated. Rebecca couldn't have agreed more and led the way up to the ship's helm. They were off to Romano at last.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks Whisperwings!

**MG#6**


	44. Return to Romano

**Author's Note:**

Now let's see if I can manage to complete this story before the year's end...

* * *

Months had passed, but the days seemed to melt together as they rushed to get back to Romano. Little had happened since their departure from Xylos 20, other than the occasional stop in port to stock up on provisions.

Rebecca stood at the bow of the ship – it was her favourite place to collect her thoughts, other than when she was writing in her pocketbook – and gazed upon the Etherium. The solar winds had died down as they sailed further from the nearest star. Small clouds of icy particles gathered in the air.

A small pod of Space Whales glided up against the ship, weaving through the clouds. It seemed that they were following them back to Romano. A smile appeared at the corners of Rebecca's mouth as she felt a tiny kick in her abdomen. Over the past few weeks it was becoming more noticeable that she was bearing a child, though the small baby bump that she had developed was well covered by her baggy shirt.

"It's a tad chilly out, eh Rebecca?" John came up to Rebecca's right side, leaning against the railing. Rebecca simply smiled and slowly exhaled a cloud of vapour. John chuckled.

Rebecca leaned against John's arm and gently placed her hand upon his. "John?" She looked up at him. "There's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about… for quite some time."

John slipped his organic hand from Rebecca's and leaned against the railing with his mechanical arm. "Is this 'bout the operation?" Rebecca paused to gather her thoughts, but John continued. "I can't… feel anythin' anymore." He looked out at the Etherium. "It's almost like these parts are taking all that's living from me." He turned to Rebecca. "That me body's fighting an unending war between man an' machine, an' I haven't the foggiest how it's gonna end."

"Well John, surely you'll adapt to such things." Rebecca stated.

"But I don't know how!" John exclaimed. His mechanical hand gripped tightly around the railing of the ship. He let out a sigh, regaining control of his hand as he loosened his hold. "Whenever somethin' gets on me nerves, it's like the machine takes control over me, an' I can't stop it." He shook his head. "Remember, only a month ago, I shot out a porthole in me room." Rebecca mutely nodded. John sighed. "Well… it was because the starlight woke me up from a nap, an' I was irritated. I shot out a window!" John held his head in his organic hand. "I was only just a little ticked off, but before I even knew it…" He ended with an exasperated sigh.

"John," Rebecca gently set her hand on John's shoulder.

"I'm 'alf a machine, Rebecca." John looked up from his hand. "Why the devil are yeh still 'ere with me? Why didn't yeh just leave me out there?"

"I…" Rebecca's bottom lip quivered. "I couldn't let you die, John!" Her eyes filled with tears. "I would've lost one of the dearest things that I have left since all that Bones has done." A sob escaped her lips. "I can't lose you, John… I- I need you." Another sob followed as the tears began to pour from her eyes. "How can you ask me such a thing?"

"Rebecca." John said tenderly. "I- I'm sorry." He gently grasped Rebecca's shoulders. "It's just- yeh 'ave no idea what it's like not being able teh control yourself. Teh lose yourself teh the simplest emotions."

Rebecca tearfully looked up at John. "You haven't lost yourself John. You are still the same man…" She pressed a hand against his chest. "You have a good heart, and I still love you just as you are." The young woman sniffled.

John set his hand on top of Rebecca's and looked deeply into her tear-filled eyes. "Though I've changed so much… yeh still love me?"

"You haven't changed, John. Perhaps in appearance you've changed, but you are still the same kind, valiant man that I fell in love with." Rebecca smiled. "And I know that won't _ever_ change."

A smile tugged at the corners of John's mouth as understanding dawned on him. Rebecca couldn't help but feel happy; judging by how much the baby was kicking. She recalled that it was the matters of her child of which she was originally going to talk to John.

_'Perhaps I'll tell him another day…'_ Rebecca pondered inwardly as she leaned against John and looked out into the Etherium. _'Perhaps another day.'_

* * *

The HMS Aurora arrived on Romano when the planet was in its summer rotation, docking at Corsla Bay. Though Romano's ever persistent rain was pounding at the streets, it was much warmer and more accommodating than the last rain they had encountered during late hurricane season. The group of companions secured their vessel and began to seek out transportation back to Grenad Harbour. Jim's body was carried alongside them in a hovering casket, given to them by the Xylonians. The flag of Romano was carefully laid over the casket, as a sign of respect for what Jim had done for them.

"It's good teh finally be back." John sighed, happy to return to his home planet at last.

"Yes," Henry agreed, giving Jim's body a glance, "but under what ill terms that we should have to return." He stated gravely.

Juanita groaned. "Why couldn't we have docked at Grenad Harbour?" She shivered from her already-soaked apparel. "I despise the rain, that's really why I left Shikari."

"Feeling homesick are we, Juanita?" Jarred teased, wrapping an arm around Junaita's shoulders.

"Shut up." Juanita retorted, playfully smacking Jarred's chest.

"Grenad Harbour hasn't a spaceport to dock vessels of our kind." Martin stated.

"But we launched the Aurora from there." Juanita snapped. "Why can't we land it there?"

"Because we need to get a docking pass from the office in Corsla Bay, and we can't get that until tomorrow morning." Martin stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

Juanita continued grumbling, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her trousers.

Rebecca strayed behind with Scroop at her side; she stopped and looked at her companions. "I have to tell him, Scroop." She stated.

Scroop mutely nodded.

Rebecca continued. "This secret's been eating away at me since I found out, and this might be the last time I'll see John."

"Surely he won't leave you." Scroop looked at Rebecca.

Rebecca chewed her bottom lip. "He's home now, Scroop, but I'm not." She wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'll be the one leaving him."

Scroop began to walk toward the group. "Do what you have to do, Rebecca." He stated.

Rebecca sighed, reluctantly following Scroop. _'And how am I supposed to do that?'_

* * *

The carriage ride to Grenad Harbour was one in silence. Rebecca's thoughts strayed back to their previous carriage ride. It had been the night of the hurricane. How the wind had howled, the rain had hammered against the roof of their carriage and the lightening had lit up the sky so brilliantly.

Now the only sound being made was the gentle pitter-patter of rain drops and the snorting of the Khorasan Rhinoceros as it trudged down the road. The carriage gentle rocked side to side from the unevenness of the road, easing its passengers to sleep.

Rebecca was the only passenger who wasn't lulled into a peaceful slumber. She was contemplating how she was going to break the news to John, more so than usual.

_'I've hardly got a future here, once Jim's been buried I'll have to return to Treaka to settle business.'_ She glanced at the young man beside her.

_'But your future is with John.'_ Her small hopeful voice pointed out.

Rebecca shook her head. _'Once he finds out that I'm bearing his child-'_ She looked out the small window at the back of the carriage, watching the rain hit the glass. How would he react? This was the question that had been ravaging her mind since she had found out about the pregnancy.

The weather began to take a turn for the worst and the Khorasan Rhinoceros suddenly grunted in alarm. Rebecca turned her attention to the front of the carriage. She knelt on her bench seat and pulled up the curtain separating the passenger section of the carriage with the driver's seat.

"Kenny?" She called out. There was no answer. She looked out the window and was surprised to find that their driver was no longer there. "Kenny?" Rebecca leaned out the window, searching the area for the Prawn.

The Khorasan Rhinoceros grunted in reply and Rebecca squinted through the pouring rain. There was no sign of their driver.

Rebecca sat back down and gently shook John by the shoulder. "John!" He stirred but failed to wake. "John, wake up!" She shook him more severely.

John groaned as he came to. "We can't possibly be there yet…" He stated, rubbing his good eye.

"We're not going to get there without a driver," Rebecca exclaimed, "Kenny's gone!"

Rebecca's words began to sink in as John blinked. "What?"

There was a loud cry for help outside of the carriage, followed by numerous sinister cackles. A crash of thunder muted the voices for a moment and roused the rest of their companions from their slumber.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Thank you very much, Whisperwings, for betaing.

**MG#6**


	45. Fight in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

Another installment of excitement and action! (Hurray!)

* * *

John and Rebecca quickly detailed the situation to their comrades. Jarred nimbly slipped through the driver's window and brought their carriage to a halt. They quickly gathered their weapons of choice and hurried into the pouring rain.

They had difficult seeing each other through the pounding rain, much less locating their missing comrade. There was only an echo of cackles, which seemed to be coming up from the cliff side, as if the sea itself were mocking them.

The large group of bandits circled around the smaller group of travellers. Their missing companion lay injured on the side of the road, but he was still very much alive. The bandits began to close the circle, stepping closer to their armed prey.

The group of travellers stayed close to each other, for fear of mistaking a bandit for one of their own. A flash of lightening highlighted the blades of their enemies, a moment before the fighting began. The first bandit lunged at the nearest traveller, and so the ferocious fight began.

* * *

The clash of metal on metal and shouts was only deafened by the pounding rain and the relentless thunder. Unlike their previous battle, the companions weren't faced with unstoppable numbers, however they were at the mercy of the haze that the rain had created, making it difficult to discern friend from foe.

Adrenaline pumped through the veins of the warriors, while the Khorasan Rhinoceros brayed in alarm. The fight could've only lasted a few minutes, but to the fighters each second seemed to drag out, and they began to tire from the taxing weather conditions.

* * *

The bandits' forces began to thin and the companions realized that their enemies were making a swift retreat when their blades met air rather than metal. The Khorasan Rhinoceros grunted and the carriage wheels began to creek.

"The bandits!" Kenny called loudly from the side of the road. "They're stealing the carriage!"

Jarred was the closest to the fleeing carriage, and he agilely leapt onto the side –sword in his hand- and began making his way to the nearest door.

The bandits who had been left behind quickly left the scene, taking their chances with another group of passers-by. The group of travellers hurried to catch up with the carriage, which was now dangerously rocking from the fighting within.

* * *

The activity within the carriage upset it so much that it fell to its side, sliding towards the edge of the cliff. The Khorasan Rhinceros brayed loudly as it strained against its bindings while the ground beneath the carriage began to crumble under its weight.

The ground caved in, forcing the rhinoceros closer to the edge of the cliff while the carriage dangled by its leather bindings. A few of the unprepared bandits fell from the back of the carriage to their deaths. The group of companions hurried to try and rescue their comrade before either the rhinoceros or its bindings could give away. The rhinoceros –fearing for its life- franticly scrambled to regain its footing along the muddy edge of the cliff.

Suddenly, the leather bindings snapped, loosing the carriage from its mount.

"Jarred!" Juanita screamed, watching the carriage plummet from the cliff side.

The carriage made a sickening crack against the rocky shoreline below, and then there was only the sound of the rain. The Khorasan Rhinoceros quickly made its way to more solid ground as the group of travellers stared at the muddy remains of the cliff side.

Juanita dropped to her knees, her clothing already soaked from their battle in the rain. Tears accompanied the raindrops falling down her cheeks as she choked on sobs. Her hands balled into tight fists as she fought against the pain inside.

"How could you, Jarred?" Juanita screamed. "How could you leave? After all we've been through, how could you just go and die?"

Her companions simply stood in the pouring rain, unable to console the grieving Shikaran.

"The bandits could've had the carriage for all I care." Juanita yelled zealously, punching the muddy puddle she had fallen in and getting a resulting splash of dirty water. She didn't care for this. "Now we've lost both the carriage and you." Her bottom lip quivered as she strained to not completely break down into sobs. She drew a sharp breath. "And I never got the chance to tell you…" Juanita closed her eyes. "…that- that I love you, with all my heart. Since you helped me get off of Shikari, a day hasn't gone by that I never stopped loving you, and I never will stop."

There was a silence, accompanied only by the light drizzling of rain. Juanita looked up and was surprised to see Jarred. He was holding onto something that was floating just above the cliff's edge and looking at her oddly. The female Shikaran froze, wondering if this was simply an illusion from her emotions. Jarred navigated the thing he was holding onto, which turned out to be Jim's hovering casket, so he could stand upon more solid ground.

"Gotta thank those Xylonians, in more ways than one." Jarred smiled.

John laughed. "Yeh gave us quite a scare there, lad."

Jarred laughed good-heartedly, but then caught the sudden heated glare Juanita was giving him.

"Jarred!" Juanita snapped to her senses and stood from the puddle. "I ought to throw you over that cliff again for all that you just put me through." Jarred walked towards Juanita, a bemused smile on his face. "And there you are, with a smug little smile on your stupid face, like nothing even happened. I-"

Jarred stepped forwards and pulled Juanita into a kiss, effectively silencing her rant for the time being. The group of companions were washed over with the same feeling of relief and shared laughs. The Khorasan Rhinoceros, exhausted from stress, fell to the sopping wet ground and let out something of a sigh.

"You did well, Bronco," Kenny proudly told the rhinoceros, "you've earned some rest." The rhinoceros grunted in reply.

Rebecca laughed weakly before feeling a sharp pain between her ribs. Her hand darted to her side and when she drew it back she saw that it was coated in blood. She hadn't realized in the midst of fighting that she had been injured and the pain began to increase with each laboured breath. She was overcome by a sudden bout of dizziness and fell to her knees.

"Rebecca!" John was at the young woman's side first, kneeling in the muddy ground as a light rain drizzled upon them. His hands went to her shoulders and he looked at her with concern.

Rebecca's hand, now covered in her own blood from trying to staunch the wound, shook from nervousness. She swayed from losing blood, seeing spots in her eyes that she knew weren't there. John's word echoed in Rebecca's head as she tried to maintain her focus.

The world began to blur and before it turned black.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you, Whisperwings, for helping me work towards the goal of finishing this story before Christmas holidays come around.

**MG#6**


	46. Noticed Something

**Author's Note:**

So much for getting this fanfic finished before the holidays. Thank you Whisperwings for accommodating betaing this chapter after the craze of the holidays!

* * *

Rebecca awoke to the sensation of a warm cloth being pressed against her forehead and listened to the crackling of a nearby fire.

The young woman slowly opened her eyes and began to make out the details of a familiar room as well as the figure sitting next to her bed.

"Ethel?" Rebecca whispered.

"Rebecca." Ethel Silver sighed with relief. "I feared the worst when Johnny brought yeh hear in yer condition. Pale as death yeh were, lass."

"Where is John?" Rebecca enquired.

"Downstairs with everyone else, worrying his head off 'bout yeh I'd imagine." Ethel sighed. "I can't do anythin' with the lad in the state that he's in now."

"Could you please send for him?" Rebecca asked.

"I will in a moment, lass," Ethel stated, "But there's something that I've been meanin' teh ask yeh." She placed the towel in a basin on the bedside table. "When I was tending teh yer wounds, I… _noticed_ somethin'."

Rebecca's eyes widened as her hands brushed against the bandages at her sides. "You know?" She asked rhetorically.

"That I do, Rebecca." Ethel stated gravely. She shook her head. "What happened, lass?"

Rebecca sighed. "A lot has happened since we were last here, Ethel." She looked down in shame. "I'm sure you're well aware of what happened to Jim."

Ethel nodded and sighed. "Though Jim –God bless his soul- 'ad his heart in the right place, I knew somethin' bad was gonna happen teh him. Felt it deep in me bones. An' John…" She sighed.

Rebecca nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry for all of this, Ethel."

Ethel shook her head. "It was outta yer hands, Rebecca. Don't pin the blame on yourself so easy." The old woman digressed. "Now, I don't mean teh pry in teh yer business, but exactly whose child are yeh carrying?"

"It's-" Rebecca met Ethel's amber eyes and bit her bottom lip. "It's John's child."

Ethel simply nodded. "How far along are yeh?"

"Nearly eight months." Rebecca stated.

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Ethel's mouth. "An' I'd imagine that John hasn't 'ad the news broken teh him."

"No." Rebecca exhaled. "He- he doesn't know."

"Well, in all do honesty, Rebecca," Ethel began, "yeh might want teh tell him soon as yeh seem teh be short on time before he finds out the obvious way."

Rebecca nodded. "Could you send for him, please?"

Ethel smiled and nodded. "I suppose I'll get to see the day when I'm a great grandmother after all." She walked from the room, leaving Rebecca to her thoughts.

* * *

Ethel entered the living room, in which the group of travellers were gathered around the fireplace.

John stood from his seat. "How is she?" He asked.

Ethel smiled. "She's awake now. She asked for yeh, Johnny."

John nodded, his eyes lighting up from both happiness and relief, and he made his way to the upper floor.

Ethel turned to the rest of the companions. "Now… how 'bout we get the rest of yeh some food an' some shut eye?" She offered.

* * *

Rebecca sat up when she heard knocking on the bedroom door. "Come in." She called.

John entered the bedroom and walked to her bedside. Rebecca couldn't stop the smile from appearing at her face as she reached out to John. The young man seated his self in the armchair at the bed's side and clasped Rebecca's hand in his own.

"It's good teh see yeh awake, Rebecca." John smiled broadly.

"I'm sorry if I frightened everyone." Rebecca smiled weakly.

"No need teh apologize, Rebecca." John stated.

Rebecca's face fell as she thought about what she needed to tell John. The young man noticed this and his smile disappeared.

"Rebecca…" John cupped Rebecca's chin and looked her in the eye. "What's the matter?" He asked softly.

Rebecca sighed. "There's something that I've been meaning to tell you…" She fiddled with her fingers. "For- for the longest time."

John met Rebecca's eyes. "Yes?"

"I-" Rebecca's voice wavered under John's gaze but she refused to break eye contract with him. "John, I'm pregnant." She finally blurted out.

John's eyes widened, he released his hold on Rebecca's hand. "How-?"

Rebecca chewed on her bottom lip. "That night that you and I got drunk, after I buried my family… you didn't just fall asleep." Rebecca struggled with a means of explaining what had happened between them. "We- you and I-" The young woman was soon at a loss for words.

John's mouth made a perfect 'O' as the truth dawned on him. "Yeh mean?" He looked at Rebecca, who nodded. He pointed at her stomach. "Then that means…"

Rebecca set her hands down on her stomach and looked up at the young man. "You're going to be a father, John."

John's face paled from shock and he swayed uneasily in his seat.

* * *

There was a loud thump from the ceiling of the kitchen, which drew the attention of the kitchen's occupants.

Ethel Silver chuckled. "I'd imagine that Johnny's found out the truth, at last." She stated.

Scroop scoffed, rolling his eyes, "It's about time." He grumbled under his breath as he helped himself to more Bonzabeast stew.

* * *

"John? John!"

The young man came to, his eyes meeting Rebecca's who was kneeling next to him. Her pale green eyes were wide with concern and she clasped his organic hand between her own.

"Are you all right, John?" Rebecca asked softly.

John gently brushed his mechanical fingers against Rebecca's cheek. The young woman made no indication that this gesture alarmed her, however the concerned look on her face remained. "Yeah, I'm all right, Rebecca." He smiled, "Yeh just took me a bit off guard."

Rebecca caressed John's hand with her thumbs. "I suppose there wasn't really any other way of breaking the news to you." She stated.

John smile grew as he looked into Rebecca's eyes. "It's all right, Rebecca. I'm glad yeh told me." Rebecca gave him a weak smile. John eased up onto his elbows. "Looks like we 'ave teh make a short stop teh Treaka once Jimbo's buried."

Rebecca nodded. "We also have some mercenaries to return to Los Terrano."

John nodded in agreement. "But right now…" He set his hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "I think it's best that we get some food into yeh."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, John." Rebecca smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Happy 2011 Readers!

**MG#6**


	47. Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

_Finally!_ So sorry for the wait.

* * *

They stayed a few days in Grenad Harbour, after transporting the HMS Aurora to the Silver residence. They were restocking their provisions and John sent a message to a few of his old friends as recruits for a small work crew.

One morning, Rebecca awoke to something peculiar. Rather than the constant drumming of raindrops on the roof, a warm ray of sunlight peeked through the curtains of the window and shone on her face. She opened her eyes, bewildered at the lack of rain, and looked around. She then rose from her bed, walked across the room and pulled open the curtains of the far window.

Golden rays poured into the room, filling the shadowy corners with its light. Rebecca basked in the warmth of the sunlight and smiled.

"John! John, come here!" She called.

The young man in question hurried from his room into Rebecca's, his shirt haphazardly tucked into his trousers. Over the past few days, whenever Rebecca would call for John, the young man would hurry to her side, expecting her to have gone into labour.

Rebecca couldn't help but stifle a laugh. The young man's dishevelled appearance was matched by a look of confusion.

"Sunlight, John… sunlight." She pulled opened the second set of curtains, filling the room with more bright light.

John blinked, having only awoken, and paused before smiling. "Yeh really need teh stop doin' that, Rebecca." He stated.

"Doing what?" Rebecca asked playfully.

John chuckled, "You're gonna give me a heart attack."

Rebecca smirked. "It is your own fault that you are so edgy, John."

John rolled his eyes. "I know…" he sighed. "I just wanna make sure you're safe when 'it' happens."

Rebecca smiled gently, stepping closer to John and patting down his bed head. "And safe I will be so long as you are by my side, Mister Silver."

* * *

They spent the day outside, the puddles having dried up by midday, and enjoyed the sunlight. Everyone in town was out and about, walking down the cobblestone streets in light clothing or bathing at the seaside in the brilliant sunlight.

John resolved that today, on this most rare day absent of rain, they'd bury Jim's body. As the sun was beginning to climb higher into the sky, the small assembly of travellers perched at the top of a hill. Tombstones that had been wearied by years under the relentless rain surrounded them and they stood before the newest addition to the graveyard.

The dead of the Silver family rested in the ground before them. Their tombstones were made of a stone that, when cut and polished, shone as if it were made of metal. A carved tombstone stood sentinel over the freshly dug grave.

_James Augusta Silver_

Beneath Jim's name was his birth date and death date. Beneath the dates was a carving of a Mantabird and the inscription "Rest in Peace".

They stood in silence; Jim's casket had been laid within the hole and a mound of dirt was ready to fill the hole.

"James…" Ethel began, her amber eyes cast to the ground, "Was a free spirit and a boy with a good heart."

Ethel's words rose and fell as she tried to keep her emotions at bay until she fell silent from tears.

Rebecca stepped forwards and continued for Ethel, "He would never hesitate to lend a helping hand to someone in need and knew what had to be done." She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. "Even his last moments, he wasn't thinking about himself, his was concerned about the well-being of someone else. This is how we must remember James, as the unselfish, chivalrous and kind soul that he was."

John knelt at the edge of the grave taking a small pendant, the size of a pocket watch, from his jacket. The Silver coat of arms was emblazoned on one side of the pendant. He set it down upon the headstone, opened it and an orb began to form the familiar face of their deceased companion.

John's memories of his and Jim's youth flashed through the orb, from their carefree days as children splashing in the ocean to their mischievous adventures as teenagers.

Each mourner picked up a shovel and began to fill in the grave. Some of them had to stop shovelling to collect their thoughts or to give in to their grief, but once the grave had been filled their hearts felt as if all the weight of the world had been lifted.

John smiled, picking up the pendant from the headstone and pocketing it. "Let's not waste the day."

* * *

Most of the group went their separate ways to explore the small town while John and Rebecca followed the main road out of town and walked by the seaside. They walked in silence for the most of the journey, instead basking in the rare sunlight and looking out at the turquoise sea.

Finally, when the sun has reached its most intense heat of the day, the couple stopped walking as they came to a gradual slope that led down to the seashore.

Rebecca sighed, sitting down at the top of the slope. "I don't think I can walk another step." Her normally pale face was flushed from exertion.

John merely chuckled at this and in one fluid motion scooped up Rebecca with his organic arm. Rebecca –taken off guard- instinctively grabbed onto John's shoulder. "John what are you doing?"

John rolled his eyes. "Just trust me, Rebecca." He chuckled.

"Believe me, I do." She wrapped her arms around John's neck and met his eyes.

"Good. I'm glad." John smiled. He then leapt from the edge of the plateau, towards the seashore, using his mechanical arm as a means of slowing down their sliding.

Rebecca tightened her hold around John's neck and squeezed her eyes shut.

They slowed as the terrain levelled out until they finally stopped. John was on his back against the slope, his feet planted in the wet sand and Rebecca was still in his organic arm, clutching his neck.

Rebecca opened her eyes, noticing that they had stopped and released her hold around John's neck. "And you say that _I'm_ going to give you a heart attack, John." She stated, uneasily getting back up onto her feet.

John shook his head, the devilish smile still on his face. "Just wanted yeh teh feel alive, Rebecca. A bit of adventuring…"

"Oh, believe me, John…" Rebecca finally steadied herself. "I think I've had enough adventures to serve me a lifetime. True be told, I would not mind feeling a bit normal right now."

John chuckled and stood from the sand. Rebecca had begun to walk down the beach towards the rocky cliff side lined with caves. The young man cast aside his lengthy jacket and stepped into the water, wading to about hip depth before following Rebecca.

* * *

The sandy beach became a rocky shoreline as Rebecca picked her way to the caverns along the cliff side. She glanced back, expecting John to be lying on the slope. She was surprised to see the young man wading through the water towards her, ignorant to the weight of his mechanical limbs.

"John!" Rebecca stopped climbing amongst the rocks. "John, what about your-" she gestured to the right half of his body.

John shrugged, stopping when he was a short distance from Rebecca. "Water's not gonna 'ave an effect on it, Rebecca." He tapped his mechanical arm twice. "Xylonian technology only wears out with time."

Rebecca's facial expression failed to change from its intense concern. John took a step forwards and suddenly took an unexpected plunge, disappearing beneath the surface of the water with an alarmed yelp.

* * *

"John!" Rebecca shouted in alarm. She waited only a heartbeat -when John failed to rise from the depths- before she leapt from the large rocks she had been climbing on to the spot where John had gone under.

Rebecca felt something tug at her as she searched for a sign of John. Her eyes burned from the salt of the seawater as she was pulled to the side. She surfaced after a short while in, judging by the absence of bright sunlight and cooler temperature, a subterranean cavern.

The young woman coughed seawater from her lungs, as she tried to make heads or tails of where she was.

A pair of hands set down on her shoulders and Rebecca abruptly turned around. Her burning eyes looked up and she saw the young man she was hoping to save.

"John!" She angrily splashed saltwater at his face. "If you're planning to shock me into labour then you're well on your way." She retorted.

John gave Rebecca a weak smile. "I'm sorry I scared yeh, Rebecca." He apologized sincerely. "I hadn't realized the undertow was as strong as it was." His weak smile met Rebecca's glare. He cleared his throat. "But… just take a look at where we are."

Rebecca sighed and looked around at the cavern. A gasp slipped from her lips.

In the dim turquoise light of the subterranean cavern hundreds of clear crystals glimmered. The cavern walls were smooth and the air was salty. Moss-like plants grew along the rocks at the edge of the pool in which they stood.

"It's beautiful." She murmured.

John nodded. He gently brushed a strand of hair from Rebecca's face as the young woman looked up at him.

After having been exposed to the heat of the day and the warm ocean, John's mechanical hand was just as warm as his natural one.

Rebecca met John's eyes and felt tears pour from her own.

"Rebecca?" John asked softly.

Rebecca turned away from John. "It's nothing…" She stated, her voice hoarse. "Just a bit of saltwater, that's all." She stubbornly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm no fool Rebecca," John stated, setting a hand down on Rebecca's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Rebecca looked at John's hand and then looked at his face, her eyes still full of tears. She met John's gaze and saw the caring and compassion within them. She shook her head as she tried to force back sobs.

"I- I can't…" Rebecca balled her hands into fists. Her lips quivered and more tears poured from her eyes.

"Rebecca." John said softly.

Rebecca couldn't help but meet John's eyes at his voice.

John looked deep into Rebecca's pleading eyes. He wanted to help and comfort her. But he didn't seem to know how to do this. John's body seemed to act on its own accord as he cupped Rebecca's face with his hands and tenderly locked lips with the young woman.

Rebecca closed her eyes, the last of her tears falling from her eyes as she entwined her fingers in John's wet hair. They separated only to catch a breath before Rebecca's lips met John's.

Finally, Rebecca separated and looked into John's eyes. She smiled gently. Everything felt like was going to be all right.

* * *

The two young adults spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the cavern and eventually discovered a means of getting back outside. They continued along the coastline until they found the spot where John had left his jacket.

Exhausted from the day's exploits, the couple rested on the sandy beach, Rebecca in John's arms with his jacket draped over her.

"Rebecca…" John gently nudged the young woman.

"Hmm?" Rebecca blinked awake.

"Look," he looked past her at the horizon.

Rebecca followed John's gaze and gasped gently.

The sky seemed to have been painted every colour imaginable as the sun set against the crystal waves: from the vivid crimson of the sun to the deep blue-violet of the night sky.

Stars peppered the sky as the sun sank beneath the waves of the ocean. The colours faded into the darkness of the Etherium until night had finally set in.

Rebecca let out a breath that she hadn't known to be holding, and looked at John. She smiled. "Words simply can't describe it, John…" She brushed her hand against the side of his face. "Thank you."

"There's one wish on a comet's tail that got teh come true." John smiled broadly.

The young adults stood from the beach and began to make their way home. John set his jacket over Rebecca shoulders as she walked beside him; her hand clasped with his.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you, Whisperwings.

**MG#6**


	48. Good Bye

**Author's Note:**

Um... yeah, my excus- er... _explanation _for this very late update is: SCHOOL WORK!

And technology... but mostly school work.

* * *

After having buried Jim's body there wasn't much more that the group of travellers needed to do on Romano. John hired a few of his childhood friends who yearned for the taste of adventure as crewmembers and made additional repairs to the HMS Aurora.

They didn't have a set departure date until one of the new crewmembers caught word of a certain pirate that had passed through the system.

John was stoked with a new passion, to find Billy Bones and deliver the justice that the pirate deserved while gaining knowledge of the key that Billy Bones was safeguarding. He had scoured the contents of his memory pendant, reviewing the conversations that he had had with Giles concerning the matter as well as anything else that could possibly help.

At this time, Rebecca was worrying about the amount of time that John was committing to his obsession over Billy Bones. When the pirate's name turned up in conversation, John seemed to change into a different person. One that Rebecca admittedly didn't find likeable or feel safe around.

But as the days passed, Rebecca was becoming more noticeably pregnant and her concern shifted from John's obsession to the child that she was bearing.

Finally, John located the necessary lead pertaining to Billy Bones' whereabouts and was determined to start a new voyage. The pirate was travelling towards the far reaches of the Lagoon Nebula. After charting a course, John saw that two stops –one to Los Terrano and the next on Treaka- wouldn't be such a diversion as this was the direction he was travelling in.

The day came when they were leaving Romano; the new crewmembers prepped the HMS Aurora for launch after saying their goodbyes to their loved ones. Rebecca stood with her companions before Ethel Silver.

"Thank you for the accommodations, Mrs. Silver." Jarred said politely.

"Yeah, we'll miss you, Granny." Juanita gave Ethel a hug before walking up the gangplank of the HMS Aurora. Martin simply bowed in respect while Henry tipped his hat before the two mercenaries followed their comrades. Only John, Rebecca and Scroop remained.

The young man was antsy to get going on the voyage, hoping that his crewmembers wouldn't get cold feet. He stepped towards the gangplank before Ethel finally spoke.

"Take care, Johnny." She said quietly.

John looked back at his grandmother. His good eye seemed glassy from tears, but he simply pulled his hat further down on his head. "I will." He stated, turning away and ascending the gangplank.

Scroop glanced at the aged woman before following John up the gangplank.

Rebecca sighed, looking at Ethel. "I should-" she strained to keep her tears at bay, "I should go." She sniffled. "Thank you for everything, Ethel."

"Why's that?" Ethel sobbed bitterly, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing the corners of her eyes. "As if Jim's death wasn't enough, now I feel as if I'm sayin' goodbye teh the last of me family, forever."

Rebecca hugged the old woman, feeling tears fall from her eyes. "At least you got to say goodbye, Ethel…" She gave the old woman an extra squeeze. She smiled as she separated from the hug. "You keep that shotgun of yours loaded, I wouldn't want any harm to befall you."

Ethel chuckled and gave Rebecca a rare smile. "I'll do that Miss Clarke, take care."

Rebecca nodded. "Goodbye." She whispered softly. She turned away and walked up the gangplank. Her last voyage had begun.

* * *

Rebecca sat in her room, staring down at a blank page in her pocketbook. Within the hour they would reach the blazing climate of Los Terrano and she would say goodbye to the closest of her friends.

Her hands shook as she struggled to form words with her pen. She set down the writing utensil and held her head in her hands. A sob escaped from her lips as she gave into her grief. She felt as if with each goodbye she was giving away pieces of what she was.

Finally she grasped her nib pen and dipped it in the inkwell.

_'What's going to happen after this?'_ She pondered with her words, her tears mixing with her written thoughts. _'Once I arrive on Treaka, what then? Do I simply go there to birth my child and then continue on with life? Continue with John? Or is this another goodbye that I have to endure?'_ She lost hold of her pen at the thought and more tears fell from her eyes as she reached down to retrieve it. Her shaking hand clumsily knocked the pen further from her reach and it rolled across the floor.

The pen rolled under the crack between the partially opened door and the floor just as one of the younger crewmembers was about to come and get her.

Rebecca looked up and met the young sailor's eyes; her own filled with tears.

The young boy cleared his throat recovering the pen and gently setting it atop Rebecca's desk. "The captain says that we'll be arriving in the port soon, miss." He nodded curtly and excused himself. He reminded Rebecca of Simon Campbell.

Rebecca got to her feet and wiped the tears from her eyes. She capped the inkwell and left her pocketbook to dry. She then straightened her clothes and made herself presentable before making her way to the main deck.

* * *

They were assembled on the main deck at the head of the gangplank: Rebecca, John, Scroop, Jarred, Martin, Juanita and Henry. A few of the crewmembers had gone into the crowded city to stock up on provisions.

"Well." John began. "This is it."

Martin nodded. "After everything we've been through, at last it's time to part ways."

"Hey!" Juanita interjected. "Stop acting like this is the last time that we're going to see each other." She stated.

"Well, we can be sure that _you'll_ be seeing a lot of Jarred." Scroop couldn't help but add.

Laughter eased the companions' sorrow for the last time.

Rebecca smiled, retrieving a pouch of coins. "Here." She held out the pouch. "Your payment." The four mercenaries exclaimed at this.

"That's simply unnecessary, Lady Clarke." Henry stated.

"Yeah, for the number of times that you got yourself into trouble, Rebecca, I'd say that we did a pretty bad job as your escort." Juanita smirked.

"Please." Rebecca pleaded. "If not for being my escorts then for teaching me how to defend myself and for being there."

Jarred smiled genuinely. "Friends do that for free." He stated.

"I won't have it." Rebecca pushed the pouch into the nearest pair of hands. "Take it. Split it amongst each other." She stated. "I want each of you to have the best future that I can provide for."

The mercenaries gaped at the pouch of coins and then back at Rebecca. The young woman simply shrugged with a gentle smile.

A small group of crewmembers sidled past the assembly on the main deck with provisions, breaking the moment between the companions.

"Well," the female of the mercenaries cleared her throat, "it's been _quite_ the long haul gentlemen." Juanita smiled to her comrades as they looked out from the gangplank at the bustling city. "I certainly hope life is good to you." She added.

"Hear, hear." Jarred stated, linking arms with Juanita and leading the way.

"Lady Clarke, Captain Silver." Henry nodded before making his way into the city.

Martin smiled to each of the young adults. "A pleasure serving the both of you." He genuflected with a flourish of his hat. "Take care." He replaced his hat and turned on his heel, descending the gangplank.

The eagle humanoid, squirrel humanoid and two Shikarans gave one last salute to the HMS Aurora before disappearing into the crowds of citizens.

Scroop turned away as soon as the four mercenaries were out of sight and resumed his duties as cabin boy.

Rebecca sighed gently; a tear fell from each eye before she could stop it. She wiped away the tear tracks and turned on her heel, meeting John's eyes.

He looked down at her and she could see the mix of emotions filled in his eyes. He broke eye contact and cleared his throat. "We should be goin' teh- get a head start teh Treaka."

Rebecca simply nodded, walking past the young man towards the bow of the ship. She stopped and gave a lasting glance at the crowds of citizens, hoping to spot a sign of one of her friends one last time.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks very much to Whisperwings for betaing and enduring the trails of email problems... and for supporting me as I begin on Deviant Art (search MangaGirlNum6 - I'll have concept art for fanfics up there soon enough!

**MG#6**


	49. My Saviour

**Author's Note:**

Thank you Whisperwings, as always.

* * *

Weeks passed, the days seemed to blur together as Rebecca tried to focus on what was going to happen to her. It seemed that when John wasn't commanding his crew he was working on charting a course or immersed in the memories of his pendant. Scroop was also put to work for much longer, having to attend to more frequent cleaning duties due to the increased number of sailors.

In short, for the majority of the time Rebecca either stood at the bow of the ship or stayed in her room absorbed in her thoughts. She felt much more alone than she had in the longest time. It reminded her of her first voyage: the voyage in which she had met John.

_There is another young man I've had the chance to get acquainted with, his name is John Silver. He helped me prepare myself for the ship's launch, as he's an experienced sailor himself. He seems like a polite young man, and despite how brash and barbaric sailors tend to be, he's different._

She wiped her eyes as she read the first entry in her pocketbook and flickered through its pages, recalling all she that had been through.

"Rebecca?" Scroop's voice interrupted Rebecca's thoughts. She had thought she was alone at the bow of the ship. The young woman turned, seeing that the young arachnid had taken a pause with swabbing the deck. He looked at Rebecca, his golden eyes reflecting concern. "Are you alright?"

Rebecca simply shook her head. "I'm not, Scroop…" She sniffled. "I'm really not." She wiped away the tears from her eyes.

Scroop set the mop against the railing of the ship and stepped closer, prepared to listen to what she had to say.

Rebecca sighed. "I feel, like I'm losing John." She stated. "He's grown so… distant ever since Jim's death." She exhaled. "It's his pursuit for revenge, for this treasure." Her bottom lip quivered and shook her head. "It's eating away at him."

Scroop thought a moment before speaking. "Have you told your feelings to John yet?"

Rebecca shook her head. "How can I?" She sighed. "I had the same desire for revenge when Billy Bones killed my family, and it only wound up with more people getting hurt. With Jim getting killed." She couldn't stop her tears from falling. "I only hope that nothing else happens to John. I just want him to be safe."

The young arachnid looked at the crying woman and pondered. "Rebecca, you should tell him what you think. Perhaps he'll have a change of hear-" Scroop stopped mid-sentence, his pupils dilating and he looked far off into the Etherium.

"Scroop?" Rebecca looked at the young arachnid.

"Ah!" Scroop gasped in pain, his eyes slammed shut and he clutched his head. Images flashed through his head and screams blocked out every other sound.

"Scroop!" Rebecca hurried to the young arachnid's side as he fell against the railing of the ship. "Someone help!" She called out.

* * *

Murmuring conversation floated in and out of Scroop's mind as he tried to fully regain consciousness. Whispers in his native language called to him. Telling him the ancient stories and consoling him.

Finally, he heard the curt voice of the Shikaran enchantress commanding him to open his eyes, and he did so.

"What did yeh say?" John's voice asked.

"Hmm?" Scroop blinked, adjusting to the room he had been put in. It was Rebecca's chambers; he recognized them from the number of times that he had brought Rebecca her meals. He sat up in Rebecca's bed and looked at John in confusion.

"Yeh said: _Ariah_." John stated.

Scroop blinked, he didn't recall saying that, and he pondered for a moment before answering, "stories… my mother told them to me when I was younger."

"The ancient tales?" John asked.

Scroop nodded. He tried to get out of Rebecca's bed but was pushed back into place by John's mechanical arm.

"Yeh need teh get some shut eye, Scroop." John stated. "Yeh hit yer head pretty badly when yeh fell down."

Scroop looked at John. "I'm fine." He challenged. "I need to return to my duties." He stated, trying a second time to get out of the bed.

"No, yeh won't." John interjected, pushing Scroop back down. "As captain I _order_ yeh teh stay in this room 'til tomorrow an' rest up. Understood?"

Scroop growled and sat back down in the bed. "Where's Rebecca going to sleep if I'm in her room?"

"Rebecca's accommodations have already been settled." John replaced his hat and stood from the chair he had been seated at.

"Where, in your room?" Scroop implied.

John glanced back at the young arachnid without answering before leaving the room.

* * *

John entered his quarters, peeling off his jacket and setting it down on the chair behind his desk.

"John?" Rebecca's voice tiredly called from across the room, she was sitting in an armchair by John's bed. She was wrapped in a warm blanket and clasped a cup in her hands.

John smiled softly. "Scroop's all right, Rebecca." He assured.

Rebecca sighed gently. "Good." She set the empty cup of cocoa on the nightstand and climbed beneath the covers. "I was getting worried."

John kicked off his boots and slipped next to Rebecca. He wrapped his organic arm around her and pulled her close. "There's nothin' teh worry 'bout."

Rebecca sighed, setting her head down against John's chest.

The couple remained silent for a few moments before Rebecca spoke up.

"John?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"I'm sorry… but I can't go with you."

John paused. "I know." He understood what the young woman was talking about. "After the baby is born, we're better teh go our separate ways."

Rebecca nodded and sniffled loudly.

John pulled Rebecca closer to him. "I'll come back for yeh, Rebecca." He whispered gently. "Once Billy Bones gets what's comin' for him, I'll be back."

"I don't care about that." Rebecca sobbed. "I don't care about revenge." She didn't bother wiping away her tears. "Look where revenge has gotten us. You said it yourself, John, revenge can't bring back the people that we love."

John was silent for a moment. "I know that, Rebecca." He stroked the side of her tear-covered cheek. "But I'm doin' this so no one else will 'ave teh feel this way. So Billy Bones can 'ave a taste of his own medicine. I'll find that treasure he's safeguarding, Rebecca, an' make sure there's no way he can 'ave his claim on it. Once I do that, I'll come back for yeh, Rebecca. I promise."

The young woman sobbed into John's shirt. There was no way that she could convince John otherwise. He was going to pursue this foolish dream. And he was going to have to do it without her.

* * *

John woke up later in the day than he had intended. Rebecca had already left his side. He looked around his quarters for a sign of the young woman. The mug had been taken from the nightstand and his boots had been orderly placed at the side of his bed.

When he found no other signs indicating Rebecca's presence, he slipped into his boots, pulled on his leather overcoat and replaced his hat.

The young man ventured through the empty lower decks. He realized how late in the day it was, the crew was likely having lunch by now. He looked into Rebecca's quarters but also found them to be empty.

John finally ascended to the main deck where he found Scroop at the helm of the ship and Rebecca standing at the bow once more.

The young man approached the young woman, who heard his footfalls but didn't speak a word. She looked at the horizon, watching her home planet slowly grow larger as they came closer to it. John stood at her right side following her gaze.

Rebecca sighed. "So… this is it then." She stated with a lump in her throat. Her eyes were glued to the horizon and her face was devoid of all emotion. It was as if she had already given up on hope.

John didn't say anything, only placed his hand gently over hers against the railing of the ship. Rebecca looked down at John's hand. She set her other hand on top of John's hand, guided it from the railing and placed it against her stomach. John looked curiously at Rebecca, who simply closed her eyes. John did the same until he felt a tiny kick beneath his palm. John opened his eyes and looked at Rebecca.

Tears had fallen from her eyes as she looked at him. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his chest, letting more tears fall. John wrapped his arms around Rebecca and pulled her closer to him.

No words were spoken. It was simply two young adults held together in an embrace. The solar winds whispered through the sails and the rigging creaked while the sail booms gently swung to and fro. A small flock of Mantabirds passed along the side of the ship, indicating their nearness to the port.

Rebecca slipped out from beneath John's arms. "Then I suppose that this baby is all I have left of you." The young woman set her hand down on her stomach as she looked out at the stars. "My saviour…"

"Rebecca. I-" John searched his mind for appropriate words. He inhaled slowly and sighed when none came to him. Instead he spoke what his heart was telling him to say. "I will come back."

Rebecca looked up and met John's eyes. She tried to find something within the depths of his eyes that would give her hope. She then let out a gasp.

"John. I think my water just broke."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

We're nearly at the end of this tale, I'm afraid.

**MG#6**


	50. A Final Promise

**Author's Note:**

Oh dear, I do suppose that we're finally nearing this tale's end…

* * *

"Get yer things prepared, I'll get us teh New Hastings, Rebecca." John's authoritative side bloomed before fear dared to occupy his mind.

"All right." Rebecca nodded, rushing to her quarters to gather her belongings.

John hurried to the helm of the ship, giving orders to crewmembers as he passed by them.

* * *

Rebecca hurried to the main deck amongst the rapidly working sailors with her bag of possessions. A look of fear was on her face as she looked around for someone.

"Rebecca!" Scroop called to the young woman, who was watching nervously as the HMS Aurora began to dock at New Hastings. The young arachnid hurried to Rebecca. "John never explain what's going on, he just said that we need to get into port immediately."

"I'm going to have my baby." Rebecca answered, panicked at the words she had spoken and thinking over what was happening. She shook her head. "Scroop," the young woman tried to keep her calm, "I want you to promise me something." She paused at another contraction. She looked into the young arachnid's eyes. "Promise that you'll take care of John for me."

"Rebecca-"

"Promise me," tears threatened to run from Rebecca's eyes. "Please, Scroop."

Scroop sighed and nodded. "I promise, Rebecca."

A smile graced the corners of Rebecca's features and she nodded curtly.

"Rebecca, we need teh leave now!" John called; the ship had fully docked.

"I'll-" Rebecca paused mid-thought, wincing at another contraction, "I'll be right with you, John." She faced Scroop. "Don't forget your promise." She stated.

"I won't." Scroop vowed.

"Excellent." Rebecca smiled genuinely. "Good luck, Scroop." She kissed the young arachnid between his eyes and then turned on her heel to catch up with John.

Had Scroop known for sure that this was the last living moment he would share with Rebecca Clarke, he may have spoken more words. Inwardly he sensed that this was their final parting, yet no words came to him. Perhaps that was as it was supposed to be.

* * *

The evening had fallen upon the port town of New Hastings before John and Rebecca could find a house that was willing to help them.

An aged couple offered their house as shelter, seeing the distressful situation that Rebecca was in, and sent for the oldest of their daughters to aid with the birthing.

The master's wife stopped John outside of the birthing room.

"I'm afraid that we haven't enough room for you in the room with us, sir." She stated.

"But I-" John started; his voice fell silent once he glanced at the small guest room Rebecca had been sent into. He nodded and stepped aside, allowing a young woman carry a kettle of boiling water into the room.

The master of the house seated John into a chair down the hallway from the birthing room, handed him a tumbler of brandy and gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Hours passed until –finally- the women of the house left the birthing room, each looking at the young man blankly as they went about their ways. John didn't know what to think.

After hours of hearing Rebecca's petrifying screams and cries of pain and having to restrain himself from barging into the birthing room to rush to her side; John was at his wit's end.

The master's wife finally came out of the birthing room and gave John a reassuring smile.

"She's in there waiting for you, sir." The woman gently stated, gesturing to the door.

John got to his feet and slowly opened the door to the small birthing room.

The young man peered around the room until his eyes met Rebecca's. The young woman –her appearance ragged from what she had just undergone- seemed to light up upon seeing John.

She gave him a gentle smile as she beckoned for him to come to her side. When the young man did so, she held up the bundle of blankets and revealed the visage of their baby daughter.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Rebecca stated, her eyes watering with motherly pride.

John's eyes watered as he looked down at the newborn infant, he shook his head and smiled. He reached forward and gently touched the baby's hand, feeling as her tiny fingers grasped one of his own.

"I'm a father."

* * *

Hours passed and it was nearing daybreak. John woke up next to Rebecca and their baby girl to the sound of rain and he got ready to leave. This was what he had been eternally dreading. He pulled on his boots and reached for his coat but stopped when he heard Rebecca's voice.

"Do you want me to tell her about you or at least your name?" The woman's exhausted voice asked with a shaky sigh. "When she's old enough?"

"No…" John Silver turned to face his lover. "I'll come back for her, in a few years, an' I'll tell her then."

"Promise?" The woman asked.

"On me life…" The half-mechanical man swore loyally. "Keep her on this planet an' I'll find her; on me life."

The black-haired woman smiled weakly after a moment's pause. "I guess I should wish you a Happy Birthday, John." She chuckled. "Twenty five years…"

The cyborg smiled back half-heartedly. "Thank yeh…" Silver sighed quietly and his smile grew. "An' thank yeh for givin' me the greatest birthday gift anyone could ever give teh me…" His eyes watered proudly as he gently smoothed his organic hand over his newborn child's soft forehead.

Then John Silver turned away and pulled on his leather overcoat; the right sleeve had been torn off to accommodate his mechanical arm.

The woman sighed sadly. "So… you're leaving already?" Her voice broke slightly, as she tried to force back her inevitable tears.

"Aye…" Silver sighed, feeling a harsh sadness well up in himself. "Crew's waitin'." He looked towards the door, unable to meet the light green eyes of his lover.

"Aren't you at least going to name your daughter?"

There was another unnerving pause between them as John Silver stopped in the door frame with his mechanical hand on the brass doorknob.

"Ariah…" Silver stated clearly. "Her name's Ariah."

* * *

The door slammed shut behind John, echoing and leaving Rebecca feeling empty.

Her eyes watered until her vision blurred and she let loose the tears. Rebecca looked down at the sleepy child in her arms, swathed in blankets. The infant gently opened her eyes. They were the warmest copper-brown, and instantly reminded Rebecca of her fallen family members. More tears followed, Rebecca gently cradled the baby against herself and kissed her daughter's forehead.

She wanted more than anything to bolt out of the room after John, knock some sense into him and beg him to stay with her, but she knew that that wasn't going to happen.

The sailing life was something that John was never going to give up, the thrills, adventures, and the spoils. Now that he had clues to the greatest treasure of them all, nothing would stop him on his path to it.

She knew that if she joined John on his journey that it would be too risky for their child to be with them. Rebecca knew that she would never give up her child nor would John ever want to put Rebecca and their newborn daughter in the path of such peril.

If John wasn't going to be there to catch Rebecca when she fell, then she'd just have to pick herself back up onto her two feet and keep living life.

Rebecca resolved something as she held her daughter against her, watching as the infant fell into a calm slumber. She was going to live life raising her daughter the way she wanted. She would provide for herself and her daughter and teach the young girl right from wrong. Rebecca wouldn't force Ariah to do anything against her will and would guide and support Ariah in all of her choices. The young mother smiled at her thoughts; she already wanted the best for her little angel.

The young mother gently smoothed her hand across her daughter's forehead as she looked upon the face of her baby. Ariah wouldn't know her father's name. It was probably for the best if Rebecca kept to John's vow and left him nameless to their daughter until she was prepared to learn the truth.

Rebecca would be left in the dark as to what was going on with John Silver, whether he was alive and well, and how much closer he had come to his treasure. She wondered when he'd be back or _if_ he'd be back… how long she'd be left waiting for him and missing him.

The young woman looked out the window of the room, knowing that somewhere out there, John was getting ready to leave port, if he hadn't already left.

* * *

The master's youngest daughter timidly peeked into the birthing room. She curiously looked at the black-haired woman with the tiny baby in her arms.

The woman's body was shaking slightly. From closer observation, the girl could see that the woman was silently laughing.

After all, sometimes laughing is the only thing you can do.

* * *

John spent the entire walk through the drenching rain fighting the undying urge to rush back to Rebecca and discard his race for revenge. He could feel a disconcerting emptiness settle within his system. He was leaving the most important piece of him behind and he knew it.

'_I 'ave teh avenge everyone that we've lost.'_ John continued walking. _'For Jimbo, for Giles, for everyone Rebecca lost… an' her home.'_

John ascended the gangplank of his heirloom ship, looking only forwards as dawn began to break on the horizon through the pouring rain.

"Captain." One of the young sailors from Romano met John. "The lady?"

"She's all right, lad." John reassured. "She won't be accompanying us. Prepare the ship for immediate launch."

"Aye, aye sir." The young man nodded, darting off to his station as the crew prepared the ship for its launch.

John Silver he looked down at the pendant dangling from a chain around his neck. He grasped it half-heartedly before tucking it under his shirt and walking towards the bow of the ship. Scroop stood at the railing of the ship as the ship began to rise out of the port in preparation for the launch off of the planet.

"Will we ever come back?" Scroop asked, watching as the port town began to shrink beneath the keel of the HMS Aurora.

"Of course we will." Silver stated. "Sooner than yeh think."

The captain adjusting his hat and looking down upon the port city as the thrusters of his ship began to power up for the final jolt.

"We'll be back for Ariah… yeh'll just 'ave teh wait an' see, Scroop."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Much thanks goes out to my lovely beta, Whisperwings, whose help and encouragement has made this story much more epic than it was originally thought out to be.

Another big thank you goes out to my loyal readers (that's right, you guys!) for your helpful reviews and undying support. Thank you so much!

Special thanks go out to the readers who've been standing by this story from beginning to end (including its previous instalment) and for providing their very helpful reviews.

**MG#6**


	51. Author's Bonus Chapter

**Author's Note:**

Ah yes, another bonus chapter to see what was going on inside my brain during each chapter of this story!

Some readers claim that it serves as a good refresher for what happened in the story, and therefore is good to go over before reading the next in the series… so I'll definitely take that as a compliment!

* * *

_**Chapter One:**_

All right then, the introduction chapter… well, I decided to introduced Rebecca firstly as a young girl (at ten years of age) to set up her character as well as draw connections to the behaviour similarities between herself and Ariah (like mother like daughter).

Rebecca's similar to Ariah at a young age, as she's rebellious and tends to get into fights. (I'm sure that you'll see these traits in Ariah become more evident in the third story of the _Starlit Life_ series and the sequel to this prequel: "Tell Me What Freedom Truly Means")

Rebecca also has the same taste for adventure as her daughter, and is willing to negotiate with her reluctant parents (okay, well her mother is reluctant) to allow her some time adventuring in the Etherium before she's to settle down with a suitor.

If any of you were wondering why Rebecca's parents have different last names –though I provided a brief description in the chapter- it really goes back to when children kept their parent's last name according to their gender, even if they got married. Our example being that Jane Clarke kept her last name despite getting married to Douglas Townsend. Douglas passed his family name –Townsend- to Rebecca's three older brothers –Sebastian, Giles and Denton- while Jane passed her family name on to her daughter –Rebecca-; who eventually past it on to her daughter, Ariah. Ariah receives the last name Clarke more because Rebecca Clarke and John Silver don't marry rather than because of the nobility tradition, as Ariah's an illegitimate child (and even if Rebecca and John did marry, Rebecca would've probably been revoked of her noble title because she had an intimate relationship with someone of a lower class than herself).

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Writing the colourful language of Jane Clarke and the headmistress of Rebecca's private school (nothing's more amusing than playing with eloquence to make one's self look highly sophisticated… I should know), I also like how Rebecca and her father agree with each other.

_**Chapter Two:**_

Now, we get to the introduction of out favourite scalawag, John Silver! Except now, Johnny-Boy is much younger and doesn't have any cyborg parts; but we all know that he's going to get them eventually!

John's in a tavern close by to Rebecca's family home, and is in need of work… how convenient for him to notice the posting of a help wanted ad for a position in a sailing crew.

It's also ever so convenient that the captain hiring this crew happens to be a regular in the tavern, and is ready to interview candidates. And ta-da!, after talking with the captain for a mere couple of minutes, Johnny-Boy's got himself a job… Hey, the captain didn't even bother to ask if John was a pirate, what a businessman!

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The skimpy bartender, I don't know why… but these women always are such amusing characters. (Scarlet and Giselle from Pirates of the Caribbean for example…)

_**Chapter Three:**_

And now it's time to start the voyage on the Siren's Sonnet in the port town of New Hastings. I thought up the capital city's name (Towata) by rearranging the letters in Ottawa. Initially, I wanted to name New Hastings by another city with rearranged letters, but couldn't think of anything that flowed off of the tongue and decided to leave it.

Well we get a brief introduction to the other members of Rebecca's family (her brothers) as well as the captain's son and first mate of the Siren's Sonnet: Tristan Mantra.

After introducing herself to the captain, Rebecca is overcome with the truth as she's left alone on the main deck: the truth being that she has no idea what to do when it comes to sailing!

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Rebecca's parting with her loved ones… it's just a warm and fuzzy moment.

_**Chapter Four:**_

Now Rebecca and John get to finally meet each other, and John -being the kindly guy he is- is willing to show Rebecca the basics of sailing, particularly those regarding ship launches.

Shortly after the Siren's Sonnet is launched into the Etherium, heading for Los Terrano, John discovers that Rebecca is a lady of nobility and mentally kicks himself for treating her like any other woman.

Then Rebecca begins to get curious over the Siren Sonnet's first mate –Tristan- as she notices his slightly different appearance and that he's hiding something.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When John grabs Rebecca -after she falls backwards during the ship's launch- and holds onto her until the ship steadies.

_**Chapter Five:**_

Aha! The pocketbook… well Douglas did suggest that Rebecca should write down her adventures, so where else would she write down her tales than in a pocketbook? This pocketbook serves as a good medium for Rebecca to record her thoughts and adventures; and provides some eventually dramatic ramifications later on in the story. The pocketbook will likely be in future stories of the series (probably in "Tell Me What Freedom Truly Means" and "To Have and To Hold"), just as a heads up.

And in this chapter we also get insight in John's thoughts as well as an introduction to a crewmember, Gage Smithy (whom I based loosely off of Buck from Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs).

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Gage's nickname for John: Johnny-Boy! (Of which -you can clearly see- I've adopted for my bonus chapter notes)

_**Chapter Six:**_

Now John can finally apologize to Rebecca for treating her like a commoner. (What a dumb thing to apologize for) But Rebecca quickly brushes away John's apology because she prefers a less formal relationship with people.

Then Rebecca notices a patch on the right arm of John's jacket, which stirs a memory within her. John then reveals a strange coincidence; that he not only served in the same battalion as that of Rebecca's brothers during an inter-planetary war, but he also became good friends with Giles, the second eldest of Rebecca's brothers.

Rebecca then recollects that Giles would send letters to her, and that he was suggesting that they (John and Rebecca) would get along well with each other.

Before the two can get deeper in their conversation, the head cook of the Siren's Sonnet (Mr Gibson) calls John to help out in the galley. John then reveals to Rebecca not only that he's the ship's floater –someone who takes any position on the ship when required- but that he also has finesse in the culinary arts (which we all know he will improve on in the future once he gets his cyborg parts).

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ I dunno… I really just liked the conversation between John and Rebecca… it's true, they do get along well.

_**Chapter Seven:**_

Ooh… the chapter where John and Rebecca kiss, MUHAHAHAHA! But let's not get ahead of ourselves; first we need to stoke Rebecca's curiosity. Okay, I'll admit, one of the reasons I decided to skip to the fifteenth day in the voyage is because I honestly didn't want to spend too much time on the voyage with the Siren's Sonnet when I have so much ahead… Rebecca's excuse for having writer's block/being too shock at the past events to write in her pocketbook is a slight mirror of what I was feeling at the time when I was stuck on writing the story.

Anyway, once Rebecca's curiosity is tempted enough to wander out of her cabin to see if the sailors are still objectifying her… well, off she goes!

I used this chapter as a means of introducing a cute little minor character who will be significant to this particular voyage (and that's probably it), Simon Campbell.

Once dinner's finished and Rebecca leaves the mess hall, the sailors get talking, tee hee… if only they had been pirates, then I could've used a slew of dirty pirate jokes (like 'I wanna put my cannon in your porthole and fire all') and yes, I am that immature.

Once a few of the sailors have had their say, in comes Johnny-Boy, furious that his fellow crewmembers are talking trash behind Rebecca's back. I know what some people would think… _'Oh he's the love interest, so he has to come and save the day!'_ No, that's not entirely the reason. I think that Silver's the kind of guy who would defend a woman being objectified, especially if she's of noble class, despite any feelings he may be harbouring towards her.

So, the angered John Silver storms out of the mess hall and discovers that Rebecca had been eavesdropping in on the conversation. He merely decides to leave the lower decks with Rebecca in tow, not knowing what will happen.

Among the brilliant stars in the Etherium –romantic and really cheesy, I know- Rebecca remarks on the attractiveness of Mr John Silver in the starlight –also very cheesy- and vice versa. Then Rebecca kisses John (hey, I did name the chapter "Something Spontaneous" for a reason)…

After one corny dose of romance, Rebecca thanks John for defending her and for being a true friend (yeah sure, as if you need a reason for kissing someone…) and leaves poor Johnny-Boy to his confused thoughts on the main deck.

Finishing off the chapter, Rebecca writes to herself and to Giles, revealing her feelings about what she's done and comparing them to her previous relationships. We know that this particular entry sparks up some other conflicts in the story…

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Writing the dirty things for the sailors to say (oh yeah!) and the kiss…

_**Chapter Eight:**_

Ah, the 'almost rape' scene between Rebecca and one sick puppy –er- kitty… well curiosity killed the cat, and that's what got Rebecca wandering the lower decks.

Once she's recognized that she's cornered by a group of very-scary-looking sailors, Rebecca's first thought is to get the heck out of there. This becomes quickly difficult as one of the sailors grabs her while she's trying to scream for help. Aha, but Miss Clarke isn't one easily to become a damsel in distress -oh no- like her future daughter, she's a fighter!

But thankfully Rebecca carries a trait that, once she's out of her captor's grasp, she doesn't stick around for the fight; after screaming for help, Rebecca high-tails it out of there. Unfortunately for Rebecca, our feline friend –Adrian Marx- is one fast guy and stops Rebecca from getting any further away.

Before Adrian Marx can have his way with our heroine someone saves her! (First thought of anyone is that it's going to be John Silver _'as he's the love interest of this fic'_ wrong-o!) Who else to save Rebecca Clarke than our favourite cabin boy undercover, Simon! And with a frying pan no less…

Now that justice has been served –and while Tristan and John lug the unconscious Adrian Marx to the brig- Simon escorts Rebecca back to her cabin and reveals that he's actually a girl in disguise! Oh the drama and the unexpected twists!

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Simon hits Adrian off of Rebecca with a frying pan; hitting people with frying pans is funny (ahem… not in reality of course, you can get concussions… and broken noses).

_**Chapter Nine:**_

Now, Rebecca gets an explanation from the elusive Sylvie Campbell, girl in disguise, of how she came to be a cabin boy. Rebecca then promises Sylvie to keep her secret from the other crewmembers. After their little chat, Sylvie leaves Rebecca in her room to go earn her keep.

After a while, John enters Rebecca's room with her lunch, as she has eaten yet all day, and he speaks with her. Rebecca, losing her appetite by merely thinking about the almost-rape, decides that she'll spend the rest of the day resting after John leaves.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The conversation between Rebecca and Simon/Sylvie.

_**Chapter Ten:**_

After nearly an entire day of worrying his head off, John resolves to check up on Rebecca and is shocked to find that not only has she neglected to eat, but she also hasn't moved from where he had last left her.

John figures out that Rebecca's developed a fever from an infection and hurries to get the help of our beloved girl in disguise.

After Rebecca regains consciousness, John is temporarily called away. Sylvie and Rebecca then have a bit of girl talk until John enters the room, announcing that the Siren's Sonnet's head cook has blown something in the main power gird.

Rebecca Clarke inwardly realizes that she doesn't want this voyage to end so quickly, as she wants to find out more about John Silver. (If that's not relationship development, then who knows what is!)

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The girl talk, between Rebecca and Sylvie, it kind of made me laugh inside…

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

Oh yes, our first action scene! (And it took its time on getting here with the entirety of the romantic mushy gushiness beforehand)

Honestly, this scene was purely a spontaneous means of satisfying my action craving self as well as serves Rebecca Clarke's curiosity of what Tristan Mantra is hiding from her.

So after not one but two fights amongst the sailors, Captain Darcy Mantra splits up the brawling. Rebecca finally figures out that there's a racial prejudice against Tristan Mantra as he's the offspring of a human and an alien, the poor guy.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The fight (duh), and how Rebecca picks up Tristan's fallen hat after the brawl is split up and resolves to return it to him.

_**Chapter Twelve:**_

This was a nice filler chapter that seems to bring the voyage on the Siren's Sonnet to a nice close (well… the end does any way). There's a cute encounter between Tristan and Rebecca, in which Rebecca's returning Tristan's hat to him and Tristan's opening up more to Rebecca.

Then there's a conversation between Simon/Sylvie and Rebecca starting with Rebecca trying to get the reason of the brawl on the ship only to have the conversation turn around to her reason for voyaging and about the relationship between John and Rebecca.

Finally, the next morning, John and Rebecca talk about John's past over breakfast.

The chapter ends with Rebecca writing that, "The next chapter of [her] adventures is about to begin".

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Rebecca returns the hat to Tristan (it's SO sweet)… Rebecca's line: "I can't believe you would suggest such a thing, Simon Campbell!" when the aforementioned cabin boy implies a growing relationship between John and Rebecca. I also like the conversation between John and Rebecca about John's past as a sailor and as a resident on Treaka.

_**Chapter Thirteen:**_

While heading out, Rebecca thanks Captain Darcy Mantra and Tristan Mantra for their services, and then oddly asks Tristan if he would care to join her while travelling. Tristan politely declines, but not without rising suspicion in John, and perhaps jealousy. John then hurries after Rebecca and asks if he can join her on her adventure. Rebecca gladly accepts John's companionship.

And now we finally get to Los Terrano, a whole new world with a whole new set of dangers! While Rebecca and John wander into the more sinister part of Los Terrano, being given faulty directions to the mercenary camp, they discover a line of slaves marching down the street. Rebecca, seeing the slave driver mistreating a particularly young and helpless looking slave, quickly intervenes and ends up with one young arachnid to take care of.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When John slaps the haunches of the slave driver's mount, causing the later to bite the dust, how's that for justice?

_**Chapter Fourteen:**_

Now with one young slave on their hands, Rebecca resolves to free the young arachnid of his chains and get him sufficient health care, as it is evident that the slave boy is too weak to go on for much longer. In a desperate need of guidance, John and Rebecca encounter a young swordsman named Martin Kovacs, who agrees to help the two young adults around Los Terrano.

While an aged locksmith is busy releasing the ill slave boy from his shackles and John is searching the market in Los Terrano for a healing tonic, Rebecca discovers that Martin is actually a mercenary available for hire. Upon learning this, Rebecca offers to Martin to be a member of her escort, and the squirrel humanoid humbly accepts.

The old locksmith, Isaac Smith, then tells Rebecca of the young arachnid's condition. Isaac reveals not only that the arachnid is three years of age (though likely with the mindset and behaviours of a mature ten year old) but also that he's a hybrid of the two subspecies of arachnids, making him very unique.

Finally John shows up, with the medicine to help heal the young arachnid. Isaac offers his tent as accommodations for Rebecca and her near-future escort as well as decides to watch over the ill slave boy until they return. Rebecca and John, guided by Martin once again, set out into the hullabaloo of Los Terrano to find the mercenary institution.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Isaac reveals Scroop's uniqueness, I find it interesting… I also like how Rebecca is caught off-guard when John returns.

_**Chapter Fifteen:**_

Well, now we get to the mercenary camp, where we are introduced to the three additional mercenaries that Rebecca hires for her escort: Jarred O'Riley, Juanita Jones, and Henry Jemseg. The group then returns to Isaac Smith's tent to stay the night.

Later on, we see into one of Scroop's dreams, which showed Rebecca holding a baby Ariah. The young arachnid, after waking up, sneaks out of the tent, with the intention of leaving. Just before he can escape, Scroop spots Rebecca outside the tent, and recognizes her from his dream.

Rebecca then introduces herself to Scroop and asks the young arachnid of his name. Scroop introduces himself and tells her about his past as a slave. Rebecca then informs Scroop that he's free to leave if that is what he wants, but offers to him a chance to stay with them. Scroop, because he believes that he won't be wanted anywhere else, takes up Rebecca on her offer and returns into the tent to get some sleep.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The cute little felid -A.K.A. the receptionist's daughter- at the mercenary camp and how she acts towards Rebecca and John.

_**Chapter Sixteen:**_

Now the group is one their way to Romano via a very fancy-looking ferry. Rebecca details in her journal that the ferry was delayed and also that Scroop has warmed up to John because the young man apparently knows the arachnid language.

Rebecca decides to explore the ferry, instead of wait around in her cabin, and she journeys off to the observation deck. She observes that the ornate ballroom is quite fancy (and yes, as mentioned before, I did base this ballroom, and basically the entire ferry idea, off of the Titanic).

Scroop notices Rebecca's entering into the ballroom and points it out to the others who are with him. John is smitten by Rebecca's appearance, but quickly goes into denial when the subject is nudged at. Jarred is also affected with similar thoughts when Juanita enters the ballroom to help Rebecca with finding the group of males.

The two women find the group soon after. Scroop then decides to retire to his cabin for the night. Juanita drags Jarred off to the dance floor. Martin nudges at the relationship between Juanita and Jarred before returning to his cabin to do some paperwork. Rebecca goes off to find John in one of the more secluded corridors of the observation deck.

Once Rebecca finds the aforementioned man, she and he talk about the wonder of the Etherium as well as what's up ahead for them on Romano.

After John reminisces about life on Romano he accidentally brushes his hands against Rebecca's. The two young adults are surprised at this, but quickly laugh off their embarrassment, which grants the phrase: "sometimes laughing is all you can do."

The ship then experiences some turbulence and Rebecca falls against John. John quickly catches her, but the young woman chides herself for not being very stable on her feet. John reassures Rebecca that as long as he's around to catch her, she'll be fine.

A passing-by comet then comes alongside the ferry and Rebecca and John decide to follow the superstition of wishing on a comet's tail. Rebecca wishes to see a very-rare sunset on Romano, on one of the days when it is not raining. John agrees with Rebecca's wish, hoping that the young woman will get to see this, as he truly believes that she'll like it. The two young adults then friendlily clasp hands, no longer embarrassed by the gesture.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When John is 'not ogling' Rebecca, when Juanita forces Jarred to dance with her, the ferry itself (particularly the observation deck/ballroom), and the moments between John and Rebecca when they're alone together.

_**Chapter Seventeen:**_

The ferry (La Vitesse) finally arrives in the capital city of Romano (Corsla Bay) where Rebecca and her escort get ready to journey to John's hometown (Grenad Harbour).

Along the way, through the pounding rain, John valiantly jumps in front of Rebecca when a passing by carriage hits a puddle, and gets soaked by doing so. Rebecca -surprised by this but truly grateful- thanks John for what he did.

John then leads the group to a stable, where he meets up with an old friend (Kennedy O'Donnell) and a distant relative (Hans Bowman), who arrange the transportation necessary to get to Grenad Harbour.

Kenny then prepares a Khorasan Rhinoceros for the trip, loads up his passengers and starts off through the treacherous storm.

Rebecca asks John about the stable master, Hans Bowman, and his relation with John. John explains that he and Hans are blood relatives -on his mother's side- and that he himself is part Ursa. Rebecca reprimands herself for not being very observant, but John explains that most of the Ursa's physical traits aren't recessive, more the fierce Ursa spirit.

Along the way, Scroop has another visionary dream, in which he sees Ethel Silver mourning at a tombstone. Scroop wakes up to see that Rebecca has fallen asleep against John's shoulder and notices that the young man doesn't mind this.

They finally arrive in Grenad Harbour and Kenny drops the group off as close to John's house as he can get (as the Khorasan Rhinoceros is both hard to manoeuvre turns with and is large in size). The group then treks down the road to John Silver's house where they meet the bad end of a double-barrel shotgun.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When John leaps out in front of Rebecca, gets soaked and then says: "If I 'ad a nickel for every time that happened… I'd be richer than a king." Also when Rebecca sleeps against John's shoulder and then contemplates moving when she wakes up.

_**Chapter Eighteen:**_

Now we get to meet the family of our beloved Johnny-Boy! Well for starters, John's feisty grandmother wielded the double-barrel shotgun (which posed a threat in the previous chapter). But Granny quickly turns into a warm and welcoming hostess when she sees that it is John who's at the door and is accompanied by friends, not intruders.

Then we meet John's younger brother, James Silver (Jim… or Jimbo, if you will), who bluntly greets his older brother's return. Once Ethel has gone into another room to prepare the house for guests, Jimbo remarks on the large group with his older brother, implying that John has finally got a girl because of Rebecca's being there.

John quickly corrects his younger brother, informing him of Rebecca's stature and of her escort. Granny soon calls the group is soon called into the kitchen, where she's cooked up a batch of Bonzabeast stew.

After a warm dinner, Ethel arranges the accommodations for Rebecca's escort while John leads Rebecca up to her own room. He brings her into an old room, which reminds Rebecca of her own on Treaka.

Rebecca finds a bunch of snapshots on the mirror of a vanity in the room. John then tells Rebecca of his past through the pictures, revealing that his grandfather and both of his parents have died. Rebecca, realizing how much John has been through, tries to comfort him. Rebecca states that she doesn't know what it's like to lose someone close to her, and that she's sorry for him. John tells Rebecca that he hopes she never has to know what losing someone close to her is like, as it's hard, unknowing what will happen in the near future. John then leaves Rebecca alone in the room, informing her of where he will be, if she should need anything.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Ethel's nonchalant attitude, when Jimbo mistakes Rebecca for being _John's girl_, the appearance of Bonzabeast stew (yum, yum…), and the conversation between John and Rebecca.

_**Chapter Nineteen:**_

A nice little chapter depicting two scenes between John and Rebecca in which John comforts Rebecca with her insecurities.

Firstly, Rebecca while having trouble getting to sleep thinks about her mother and realizes how much she misses her family and her home. John, being only in the room beside Rebecca, hears her quiet sobs and goes to comfort the young woman.

After being comforted by John, Rebecca asks the young man to stay in the room until she gets to sleep. John agrees and ends up falling asleep in the armchair beside Rebecca's bed.

In the morning, Rebecca wakes up and discovers that John's remained in the room. She then gets out of bed to go through her things, to decide what she will wear for the day. When she stumbles upon the torn red jacket, of which she hasn't worn since Adrian Marx tried to rape, she ponders about that particular day.

John wakes up and notices what Rebecca is looking at. He goes besides her and Rebecca tells him what she truthfully thought about what happened to her. John tries to cheer Rebecca up with his own insight, that learning from the past and living each day to its fullest makes life worth living. John then leaves the room, allowing Rebecca to get dressed for the day.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ John's parting comment about Rebecca's nightclothes.

_**Chapter Twenty:**_

Man, this chapter pretty much took the longest to get together… but I was glad when I finally finished it and sent it to Whisperwings, and then finally posted it.

Here we have the introduction chapter to the Silver's family heirloom ship (HMS Aurora), which will serve as a primary setting in the next fic in the series "Tell Me What Freedom Truly Means". Thomas Briggs, a close friend of Jim and John, is also introduced in this chapter.

Once everything's in working order, we skip right to the ship launch, where Jim says his final words to his beloved grandmother while Ethel reminds John to take care of Jim and Rebecca (nudging at the chemistry between Rebecca and John, despite Rebecca's being a lady).

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Jarred's nervous about the proposition of his self, climbing through the ship's machinery because of his skinny build.

_**Chapter Twenty-One:**_

So here we are, a month in to the voyage from Romano to Emery, and all ready there's trouble amok, well there's going to be trouble soon…

While Rebecca is so innocently looking over her notes in her pocketbook, Jimbo tries to sneak a peek. But thankfully -before Jim can read into Rebecca's written down thoughts- Johnny-Boy swings in and forces his younger brother to return Rebecca's pocketbook.

John and Rebecca talk for a while about the aforementioned first mate's mischief streak. As Rebecca friendlily thanking John for returning her pocketbook, Jimbo casually _tilts_ the ship, causing Rebecca and John to kiss… (How the heck does that work? _Disney Magic_ my friends… _Disney Magic_…)

Once the two young adults separate the ship tilts again -thankfully, with no other awkward ramifications- and it turns out that the ship is heading straight for an asteroid field! Oh boy…

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Jimbo mischievous ways… he's almost like a human Morph!

_**Chapter Twenty-Two:**_

So now we've got some action, a short sequence of the _HMS Aurora_ ducking and weaving through a dense asteroid field. But thanks to Rebecca's quick thinking the only damage is to the stern of the ship and not to anyone on board.

John resolves to land on the nearest planet, Shikari, despite Juanita and Jarred's heated protests as they are considered traitors for defying the religious norms of their planet. Originally I was going to have Shikari ruled by a group of Shikarans with power over the elements, but I didn't want to delve too deep into it, as I wanted to keep the visit to Shikari short and sweet.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter: _The action scene (because I'm such an action junkie) and Jarred & Juanita's ridiculous disguises.

_**Chapter Twenty-Three:**_

From this point on in story writing I was sailing on a pleasant creative zing, of which I was happy to have.

Now here we've got a bit of a flip-flop relationship chapter. It starts out nice, as Rebecca and John venture out on a calm longboat ride to look at the wonder of the Theta Nebula. Then it turns a little dramatic as Rebecca realizes her growing feelings for John, leaving her pocketbook behind as she runs off to her quarters. John finds the pocketbook reading the wrong words for the time and convinces himself that Rebecca only thinks of him as a sailor, turning him bitter.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ I liked writing the scene in which John and Rebecca have a longboat ride out to the Theta Nebula.

_**Chapter Twenty-Four:**_

So now we realize that Scroop's dreams are actually his seeing into the future (amazing ability right?) but he's been warned that some of the visions that he sees are of a future that _could _be, but not necessarily one that is _going_ to be. I got the idea of the enchanted Shikaran from the character Mo'at from James Cameron's: _Avatar_

Then we've got one honking argument between Rebecca and John before their launch out of Shikari, shattering the close relationship between them. The argument kind of reminded me of the first _Shrek_.

But luckily the four young friends: Jim, Juanita, Jarred and Martin (Triple J and M, if you will) are planning to get to the bottom of John and Rebecca's lack of socializing with anyone else –that is- other than a certain arachnid cabin boy…

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Scroop's mystical dream.

_**Chapter Twenty-Five:**_

So now, one Triple J & M plot later, we've got Jim sneaking up on Scroop so that he can get access to John's room. Jim gets into John's room (unnoticed) until John comments about Jim trying to sneak up on him. Rather than sending him on his way, John decides to hear out what Jim wants. Jim then tries to get out what it is that's troubling John. John then dismisses his younger brother, but not before Jim tells him to have a nice twenty-fourth birthday all alone.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter: _When Jim's trying to sneak up on John and John says "Yeh 'ave gotten a little craftier since I last saw yeh, haven't yeh Jimbo?"

_**Chapter Twenty-Six:**_

Now it's Juanita's turn to convince Rebecca, doing so much more successfully than Jim (so it would appear) and the now-motivated Rebecca charges out onto the main deck to look at a flock of Mantabirds (scaring the Be-Jesus out of Juanita and a few people who are looking).

Meanwhile, John's actually doing as both Rebecca and Jim advised and is reading Rebecca's journal, discovering how much of a fool he's been, and realizing Rebecca's true feelings for him.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Juanita's line: "Hey, remember, without you, I'm outta the job."

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**_

So now John and Rebecca finally make amends (hurray!) and the HMS Aurora approached the densely populated planet of Emery.

While packing her things, Rebecca contemplates leaving John, as she is at her destination of choice.

Meanwhile, Scroop debates what he's supposed to do, his loyalties split equally between both John and Rebecca.

In the process of finally saying goodbye, Rebecca asks John if he would stay in port longer. John, overjoyed that Rebecca wants him to stay, agrees to this and receives a hug of thanks.

Shortly afterwards a robot arrives aboard the HMS Aurora, carrying a message for Rebecca that she's invited to the High Duchess Maria Steepleton's Banquet. Rebecca accepts, and decides to take John with her to the banquet, setting out to find appropriate clothes for the ball.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The 'almost goodbye' scene. It's so cute.

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**_

So while John has his suit ready, Rebecca is out with Juanita trying to find an appropriate dress for the banquet. Jarred and Jim stop by and Jarred finds the 'perfect' dress for Rebecca immediately.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ the reference to the many Disney Princess dresses while Rebecca's trying to decide what to wear. When John and Rebecca see each other dressed so formally.

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**_

And right about here is when my creative zing came to an unexpected standstill, and I had to go watch a bunch of movies with ballroom dance scenes in them (particularly _Beauty and the Beast_, _Titanic, The Princess Diaries,_ _What a Girl Wants _and _Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World_) to get some motivation…

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ the conversation between Rebecca and the felid princess, the appearance of Giles and the conversations between Giles and Rebecca, and John and Giles.

_**Chapter Thirty:**_

This was the last chapter that I posted before taking my summer break of next-to-zilch Internet accessibility, but I think it went well enough to set a stage and keep readers anticipated for the next update (I hope).

We've got the growing romantic relationship between John and Rebecca, the near confession of their feelings to each other and just when you think everything's about to go as planned… Johnny-Boy runs off, afraid of his own feelings and pirates suddenly capture Rebecca!

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The garden scene (there's a lot of _Princess Diaries_ motivation with this).

_**Chapter Thirty-One:**_

After the lengthy wait of summer vacation, this chapter got finally posted (hey, well all need a break here and there). Thankfully I got a substantial amount of work done on this and my other fanfics over the holidays, which was nice.

So after a brief intro of Scroop having a dream, we switch back to John who's hurrying back to the High Duchess's mansion to inform Giles that Rebecca's been taken away by pirates. Giles quickly resolves to help his younger sister (to the dismay of his bride-to-be) and with parting words, hurries with John back to the docks.

Meanwhile, Rebecca's having trouble handling the pirates that have kidnapped her, but puts up a decent fight given her circumstances. The pirates manage to gag her, and talk about their leader, Billy Bones.

Back to Giles and John, who are making their way to the docks, Giles advises that they use John's ship, as they need to get to Treaka. John asks why they're going back to Treaka, but Giles insists that he'll explain it later.

Rebecca is dragged out of the carriage by the pirates and screams bloody murder when she manages to get her gag off. The pirates quickly knock Rebecca out and continue dragging her to their ship, in hopes that no one managed to hear Rebecca's screams.

Meanwhile, Giles and John have made it to the HMS Aurora and John gets his crew assembled for immediate launching.

By the way, the name of Billy Bones' ship (The Black Arrow) derives from _The Hobbit_, as this is the arrow used by Bard to kill the wicked wyrm, Smaug.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The pirates (hurray for pirates!) and Rebecca's fieriness.

_**Chapter Thirty-Two:**_

This is the chapter in which we discover what the pirates are really after… a key to the chest in which Billy Bones keeps Flint's map, so now he can't open the chest for safekeeping of the map (but he still has the map out and about). We also get to see both Rebecca and John's side of the situation (being Rebecca's capture), both are concerned about each other.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Rebecca's inward dialogue, planning how to escape the pirates.

_**Chapter Thirty-Three:**_

Originally I was planning that Rebecca would receive a message from her mother, telling her to come home as Giles was getting married and then come home to see that her family was assassinated by pirates. This was too anti-climatic for me, so I decided that some fighting would be necessary.

Thus I planned that Rebecca and her companions would arrive at the Townsend-Clarke residence and then the pirates would invade, killing off Rebecca's family. I found _this_ too spontaneous as well.

So that's where I got the idea of having Rebecca get kidnapped because of Giles' stealing something from Bones related to Flint's map. I also originally planned that the Townsend-Clarke residence would've simply been trashed by the invasion, not necessarily burnt to the ground (so it could be featured in the next instalment of the series). But because I no longer found interest in having Rebecca being at her father's side to hear his dying words, I decided that the pirates would torch the place.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Juanita's line "you fight pretty well, for a boy" to Jim as she hits a pirate with a candelabrum

_**Chapter Thirty-Four:**_

And here's the aftermath… originally I had the scenes mismatched, where Rebecca and John would get drunk during the night of the invasion and then Rebecca would have a funeral for her family, but I liked switching the scenes up to portray Rebecca's obsession with laying her family to rest by spending the entirety of the next day rifling through the ashes of her home and getting her family members buried. It's only when John comforts her that Rebecca finally lets out her feelings about all that's happened.

When Rebecca wakes up later in the evening, she decides that the best way to conquer her misery would be to get hammered (with John) in hopes of forgetting all that's happened to her for at least one night, and that's when the two let their guards down.

Originally I was going to have John and Rebecca get drunk in the trashed Townsend-Clarke mansion, in one of the guest rooms, but since I made the mansion burn to the ground, I found John's quarters would be a more suited setting for this scene.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When John and Rebecca sing _drink up me hearties Yo-ho!_ Muhahahaha… "Pirates".

_**Chapter Thirty-Five:**_

After a fateful night of alcohol-induced passions, Rebecca plots revenge on Billy Bones and (with a bit of help) convinces John that it's high time that they begin another voyage.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter: _Scroop's concoction that helps with hangovers (goodness knows that he could sell it to inns for a pretty penny).

_**Chapter Thirty-Six:**_

Many days later (I just wanted to skip along this voyage) Rebecca's discovered that she's bearing John's child. It would appear that Juanita and Scroop know of this as well (evident from their conversations).

The only problem is that John doesn't know this (and he doesn't find out until MUCH later) and that if John finds out, he might call off their voyage for revenge.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Designing Rebecca's _pirate-y_ clothes. The conversation about dreams between Rebecca and Scroop.

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven:**_

Now with the symptoms of her pregnancy beginning to show (other than the telltale baby bump) Rebecca's becoming more worried that John might find out about this.

One morning, while indulging in a purp craving, she manages to get herself stuck in the purp barrel, until John pulls her out (mistaking her for Juanita). It is soon deduced, by the shortage of purps in the recently stocked barrel that someone has been getting into their stocks (and not only Rebecca). They make a prediction that it is Scroop, from his recent absence and increase in appetite, and that he's likely going through a growing process.

In the scene in which Rebecca discovers Scroop hiding spot I went through a few different theories of how Scroop should grow. One was that he would spin a cocoon around his self; the other was that he'd shed his exoskeleton with a new layer being beneath it.

I liked what I have posted, that a soft underlying layer is growing and pushing itself against the exoskeleton, forcing it to crack and a new exoskeleton develops once this underlying layer has stop its growth spurt.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Rebecca gets herself stuck in a purp barrel. The conversation between Scroop and Rebecca shortly after Rebecca discovers him in the cargo hold.

_**Chapter Thirty-Eight:**_

Action! Being an action junkie makes waiting for scenes like this almost unbearable, but it is then that I can exercise some creativity. While waiting, I watched some epic, adrenaline-pumping fight scenes from movies… like from the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Lord of the Rings trilogies.

I'll admit, I borrowed Juanita's _'Again'_ attitude from James Cameron's _Avatar_ when Neytiri is teaching Jake Sully how to be a Na'vi, I felt that it would suit her.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The duel between Juanita and Rebecca.

_**Chapter Thirty-Nine:**_

The group of companions approaches Alpha Diego. They don't actually get to the planet's surface because they are severely damaged by a premptive strike by the pirates (the flaming merchant ship) and soon find an _empty_ pirate ship.

While exploring the vessel they discover a series of hanged pirates (I did this not only to show Billy Bones' ruthlessness, but also to thin the numbers of which the group was fighting against).

Jim soon finds out that the entire ship is rigged to explode, and before they can escape, a bunch of pirates nab their ship while the rest of them ambush the travellers (my theory is that Billy Bones told his crew that he'd blow up the ship if they didn't kill the invaders).

One kiss, a couple of funny lines and awesome action bits later, Rebecca rushes to help Jim disable the explosives. Unfortunately, this results in Jim being stabbed by none other than Billy Bones him self.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter: "Mind if I cut in?"_ Fighting! Everything about the fighting! I especially liked when Jarred saved Juanita when he knocked Romulus off of the ship with a solar sail boom. _"Down boy."_

_**Chapter Forty:**_

While Billy Bones queues the ship to blow to kingdom come, Rebecca consoles the dying James Silver. Jim tells Rebecca that he knows that she's pregnant with John's child –being much more observant than his older brother- and asks Rebecca to take care.

Just as the companions are about to give in to their imminent demise, Rebecca hurries off to find a missing John and Scroop comes to the rescue, having finished his growth spurt, taken down the pirates and commandeered the ship. He also sets the HMS Aurora to pre-launch and hurried on board the _Black Arrow_ to find Rebecca and John.

Meanwhile -below deck- Rebecca finds John and admits to him that she loves him, having given into their doom. John admits that he loves Rebecca and they prepare for their fate. Before they can do so, Scroop finds them and brings them to the main deck. John hurries onto his heirloom ship after Scroop and helps Rebecca up.

Before they are all safe, a pirate grabs Rebecca and brings her back onto the pirate ship while the Aurora is only seconds away from launching. John tackles the pirate and Rebecca scrambles onto the HMS Aurora, waiting for John to accompany her. Unfortunately for John the HMS Aurora launches before he can get on the ship and then the _Black Arrow_ explodes.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Jim's parting words (the entire scene is sad enough, but I like it). Juanita's line: "I'll gut him from nostril to navel!" (Which was borrowed from _Ever After_).

_**Chapter Forty-One:**_

Rebecca, Martin, Henry and Scroop search the wreckage for any survivors. After find John's family dagger, they find John's body and are astonished to find that even after sustaining such damage, John is still alive.

Rebecca resolves to get to the nearest medical facility to attend to John's severe injuries. Upon arrival at the moon Xylos 20, the Xylonians attend to preserving Jim's body and operating on John while Rebecca unquestioningly pays for it.

Meanwhile, a nurse notices an injury that Juanita sustained during the battle against the pirates. In order to prevent the facility from being short-staffed, Jarred offers to heal Juanita's wounds. This results in a rather cute romance scene between the two Shikarans.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The wreckage scene. The scene between Juanita and Jarred in which Jarred heals Juanita's injuries.

_**Chapter Forty-Two:**_

After waiting for John's operations to be complete, Rebecca is informed that John has been treated for his injuries (by means of replacing his afflicted limbs with mechanical parts). Rebecca is allowed into John's room and gets the first look at the mechanically altered John Silver.

Shocked by how much John's appearance has changed, Rebecca pins the blame upon her self and is overcome with guilt. John comes to and is relieved from Rebecca's presence. John begins to get accustomed to the used of his mechanical limbs.

Rebecca soon leaves John to allow him to get some rest, but not before John thanks her for coming back for him. This only adds to the guilt that Rebecca is feeling, resulting in an emotional breakdown just outside John's room.

Scroop once again comes to Rebecca's rescue, though not as dramatically as before, and comforts Rebecca by bringing her to the medical facility's atrium. Rebecca is thankful for what Scroop has done, but suddenly feels a pain in her stomach, fearing for the health of her unborn child.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The scene between Scroop and Rebecca. The fountain of an angel releasing a crystal Mantabird towards the skies with the word _'Hope'_ engraved beneath it.

_**Chapter Forty-Three:**_

Rebecca finally hears the truth that she was originally expecting twins, but has lost one of them, from the previous upset. However the surviving twin (evidently Ariah) is healthy.

Later on, while Rebecca's trying to get to sleep, John arrives and comforts her. He has found out about Jim's death, but not about Rebecca's pregnancy. He then pledges to his self to get his revenge on Billy Bones for all that he's done to both him and Rebecca.

Near the end of the chapter, the crew of companions is finally getting ready to leave Xylos 20 and return to Romano.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Rebecca gives Scroop his toque and then Scroop hugs her. It quite honestly made me cry at the cuteness while I was writing it! (Goodness I'm such a sap…)

_**Chapter Forty-Four:**_

Rebecca tries to speak with John about the child she is carrying, but the conversation soon turns to John confronting his issues pertaining to his control over his mechanical parts (when associated with his emotions) and his feelings about becoming a cyborg (how 'bout the term: _man-chine_?). Rebecca states that she knows that John is still the kind, warmhearted man that she fell in love with and that would never change no matter how much his appearance changed.

Later on, the companions finally arrive on Romano after the long months of travelling (from Alpha Diego/Xylos 20 to Romano it's about four months of sailing). Rebecca steels herself to tell John that she is expecting his child.

On the carriage ride to Grenad Harbour, Rebecca is unable to fall asleep, and soon notices that with a sudden change in weather, they no longer have a driver.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter: _The conversation between John and Rebecca (even though it took me a while to write), as it is a key transition of John's character from the innocent young man that he used to be into the ruthless pirate captain he is going to become.

_**Chapter Forty-Five:**_

This is the action junkie (in me) getting her occasional fix after watching a bunch of mind-blowing movies.

I wasn't really planning a big confrontation between the arrival on Romano and Jim's burial but seeing as I cut Rebecca's getting arrested as a pirate and almost hung (mostly because I didn't know how I was going to write this) I decided to add this.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ When Jarred "dies" and Juanita gives into her grief only to realize her feelings for Jarred and then discover that Jarred isn't dead. When Jarred kisses Juanita to cut off her rant.

_**Chapter Forty-Six:**_

A much more peaceful approach to Rebecca finally breaking the truth to John about her pregnancy (but honestly, eight months and even if she doesn't have such a noticeable baby bump? Come on Johnny-Boy! Buy yourself a clue!).

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The conversation between Ethel and Rebecca. John's fainting scene

_**Chapter Forty-Seven:**_

Here's where a massive creative-zing helped me bring this story to its conclusion! (Hurray for zings)

I knew that when I created a planet in which it rains the majority of the time and a day of only sunlight is a rare occasion, I'd have Rebecca see that rare day of sunlight. What a better day to bury Jim's body and for John and Rebecca to spend some quality time together.

Originally I was going to have it stop raining when John figured out that Rebecca was pregnant (the original plan being when Rebecca would've been charged with piracy but the charges would've been dropped because of her pregnancy) however I like the posted result much better.

I got feeling of the subterranean cavern scene from a romantic bit out of _Final Fantasy X_.

I was also going to have a scene set during the evening in which Rebecca wears on of Ethel's old dresses (or one of John's mother's dresses), but I didn't know what would accompany this nor saw it as necessary after what already happens during the day.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ the sunset, a wish from a comet's tail that comes true.

_**Chapter Forty-Eight:**_

Not only is this chapter focused on goodbyes but it is also focused on John Silver's obsession about getting revenge on Billy Bones and Rebecca's growing concerns.

I had John act almost coldly when he leaves Romano, but on closer observation, the tears that don't fall suggest otherwise. Rebecca on the other had is understanding of what Ethel's going through, and has a more heartfelt goodbye.

Later on, Rebecca has an emotional breakdown while confronting what will happen after she births her child. Then she says her goodbyes to her dear friends, the mercenaries.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The parting of ways… so bittersweet. Scroop's line to Juanita: "Well, we can be sure that _you'll_ be seeing a lot of Jarred."

_**Chapter Forty-Nine:**_

Other than occasional tweaking, this was the last chapter that I fully wrote (most of chapter 50 was from notes and previously written bits worked on when I had writer's block).

In this chapter, Rebecca comes to terms with what she's been through and thinks about what is going to happen in the near future. Not only does she do this through reflection of her written pocketbook entries but she also speaks with Scroop, before he has a strange migraine-like episode (no doubt related to his unique ability) and collapses.

Later on, after Scroop's awake, Rebecca speaks with John about what's going to happen once their child is borne. This only leads to heartbreak, as she cannot convince John any further to stay with her because of his fierce determination to find Billy Bones.

Finally, the chapter comes to a close with the words that we've been waiting so long to hear: "John. I think my water just broke."

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ The conversation between Scroop and John, I suppose.

_**Chapter Fifty:**_

Originally all that I had planned for this chapter was for Ariah to be birthed and for John to leave immediately afterwards. I soon developed Rebecca's inward monologue, which continues from the end of the memory that Ariah sees in the events of "You Need to Find Yourself a Girl Mate".

I added scenes such as Scroop making a promise to Rebecca to take care of John as well as the ending, showing John's point of view of leaving Rebecca as well as his determination to avenge all that he and Rebecca lost. I did a bit of rearranging for these scenes to see what would work best as a finale and resulted in what is now posted.

_Favourite Part of the Chapter:_ Rebecca's inward monologue shortly after John leaves.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The next fanfic in the _Starlit Life_ series, if you didn't already know from my profile, will be "Tell Me What Freedom Truly Means" the second prequel to "You Need to Find Yourself a Girl Mate" and set right after this story! It'll be of Ariah Clarke's childhood, her sailing adventures, and will also include the mysterious voyage in which she meets Gordon Ortona… (Ooh) And if you thought that this fanfic was long, wait until the next one!

Can't wait! Hopefully -to those of you who have Author Alerted me- will get the news very soon about this upcoming fanfic finally being posted…

Happy Reading and Writing!

**MG#6**


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